Awake
by Pen Journey
Summary: After the game takes place, Awake is the story of Fang years after she and Vanille turned into crystal. But a war, an insane man, and haunting nightmares block her path to Vanille.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N:** Uhhh hey everyone! I'm a little new here. This is my first time writing a story...since...I think 8th grade. I'm in college now so thats maaaaaaany years ago. So I know I'm rusty. So if you decide to read this, which I hope you do if this part hasn't scared you away, please please please review it. Provide some form of criticism. I need to get better! *cough* I wanna be the very best! *cough*_

_**Update: **Managed to fix some of the grammar mistakes, but all credit for that goes to Lady Midday_

**Awake**

**Chapter One: Dreaming into Reality**

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* * *

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"Wake up, Fang!" a voice called out to her.

The woman being spoken to merely smiled at the voice, her eyes closed. She was lying down on the warm grassy floor of someplace she had a hard time recognizing.

_Man, I'm tired..._

"Wake up!" Again that familiar voice called out to her. It was unmistakable to the Pulsian woman. The voice was beautifully accented, and had a power over Fang that would always brighten her mood despite the predicament. The voice of her companion could warm her heart, and just as easily break it.

_Vanille, _Fang said to herself, hiding a pleasant grin after hearing the voice of her companion. Even though what Vanille had said to her was commanding, the few simple words replayed in Fang's mind like a musical masterpiece. _A perfect voice, for a perfect girl, _she thought.

"Come on, Fang. Wake up already!"

Now her companion was serious. Yet, Fang could sense the slight hint of a giggle from Vanille's voice when she spoke.

Fang squeezed the blades of grass tickling her palms, taking in the warmth of the ground beneath her. _Guess I should wake up now, huh?_ Fang chuckled quietly, pondering for a moment whether she should actually wake up. The warmth of the sun on her tanned skin, the tickle of each blade of grass beneath her hands, and the subtle breeze blowing strands of her wild black hair seemed so calming for her, that Fang began to think that she needed another nap!

She felt tired. Really tired. It felt like she hadn't slept in ages. _How could Vanille have so much energy now?_ Fang said to herself. Things should have been quite the contrary, however. Sleeping for 500 years in crystal should make anyone never want to sleep again.

_But didn't I complete my Focus? _Fang thought again. She knew she had to have done it. Replaying the thoughts of fighting Orphan, Vanille and her transforming into Ragnarok, and saving Cocoon reassured her. But once her mind delved into deeper detail of these past events, everything started to get hazier and hazier, her mind caught up in a mist of confusion.

"Fang? Hellooooooo?" Vanille called out to the older woman, gently nudging her to wake up.

The woman in question was still caught up in her thoughts however, her mind shielding herself from the outside distractions. She kept delving deeper into her mind, trying to hash up all the memories she could find. Remembering her childhood was easy, as all good memories were with Vanille, but as she got closer and closer to the day when Vanille and her woke up in the Pulse Vestige everything began to get hazy again. Almost as if what happened was one terrible dream...

* * *

_Or nightmare..._She added. Fed up with the confusion for now, she decided to turn back to the matter at hand.

Dismissing the bouts of confusion from her, her mind immediately returned to the warmth under her sari-wrapped body. The blades of grass tickling her tanned arms and legs. A gentle breeze brushed black strands of hair lazily over her face, stifling a giggle from her companion.

_Everything is peaceful...for now anyway._

Fang groaned. Desperately wanting all of her problems to just go away. Cocoon, fal'Cie, l'Cie, she didn't care. All she wanted was Vanille, and she knew, well, she hoped, that Vanille wanted her too.

"Hmph. Fine," Vanille huffed. "If you just want to sleep all day, Fang, and miss the view of Cocoon crystallized, than thats fine by me." A hint of silliness flavored her words, joking about her frustration at failing to wake Fang up.

_Ha! I knew we had completed our Focus!_ Fang screamed out in her head. _I knew it hadn't been a dream. So Vanille and I really had done it, huh? The two of us saved the wo- _Fang abruptly ended her thought once she played back 'Cocoon crystallized'. _If Vanille and I really did complete our Focus...than shouldn't we be crystal too? _A worse thought entered her mind. _Ugh...that means the two of us are awake again...are we still L'Cie? _

Fang shot upright and her emerald eyes bolted upon, far too quickly to take in the view Vanille desperately wanted her to see. But as soon as her eyes opened, they were shut once again, Fang recoiling from the suns bright light in sleepy eyes. Finally, after a few moments, Fang spoke.

"Vanille...did you say that Cocoon was 'crystallized'? Fear building in her stomach as she awaited the answer she dreaded would come.

"Of course, Fang. What else do you think I was talking about?" Fang was lost in silence again.

She felt the incredibly smooth skin of Vanille's hands on her own, gently pulling Fang's arms away from protecting her eyes. Fang still had her eyes shut tight, still not used to the sun's rays.

"Fang..." Vanille paused, Fang noting the concerned tone her voice had. "Are you alright? You look pale." Fang nodded her head.

"Don't worry about me Vanille. I'm fine...just a little tired right now."

Fang felt Vanille lean in closer, until forehead touched forehead. "Maybe you have a fever..." her companion said. Leaving Fang's forehead for a moment, causing the older woman to frown, missing the contact. Vanille wasn't missed for long however, as her forehead was soon replaced with an impossibly soft kiss.

Fang leaned into the gentle touch of Vanille's lips. She rubbed her eyes before finally opening them to the radiant landscape around them. Relaxing once more, Fang readjusted her position, leaving Vanille's contact, leaving one leg outstretched while the other is bent at the knee, an arm lazily rubbing it. Her free hand immediately went back to the warmth of the grass again. Finally, she scanned her surroundings, and was utterly stunned at what she saw.

Flowers. Everywhere.

Fang drank in her surroundings. She and Vanille were lying on a patch of grass flanked by wildflowers of every color imaginable, hell, there were colors she never even knew existed before!

At first she would've thought that the view around her would be hard to see, as by now it was getting pretty close to dusk, but one by one each flower began to glow in a brilliant bioluminescence. Each flower radiating colors from vibrant greens to icy blues. The breeze picked up again, simultaneously shifting each flower as they bent in the wind.

Amazed at what she had seen around her, she continued to explore with her eyes. Shifting her head to the left, she gazed upon shimmering pools of crystal clear water. Fish of every color of the rainbow darted to and fro and the quiet pitter-patter of water droplets cascading down upon the pools from waterfalls above made the whole scene extremely calm.

_It's like I'm dreaming, _Fang thought, having to rub her eyes once more just to reassure herself that the beauty before her, and this time she wasn't speaking of Vanille, was real.

Everything was serene. So relaxing. Fang felt that just being in the presence of such a spectacle of nature would wash away her troubles.

"Vanille...do you know where we are?" Chuckling a little, Fang continued.

"I'm hopelessly lost right now." Vanille giggled at her companion's words, sliding in next to Fang and relaxing her head on the older woman's shoulder.

"Ever since we were kids, Fang. You'd always forget where to go, you'd pick a random direction and continue onward like it meant nothing!" Vanille smiled at Fang, who's cheeks were turning red.

"Remember that time back in Oerba? Where the Shaman had the two of us collect mushrooms to restock the supply of medicine?" Fang rushed to shut the girl up, embarrassed that she was bringing up something as humiliating as this. But she just lowered her head and let Vanille continue, praying to the Maker that she wouldn't remind her of the little 'incident' Fang and Vanille had when the two were but young children where Fang had steered Vanille off the return path to Oerba and onto a path towards the mountains. After a three-hour trek the two had finally stopped at the edge, where Pulse in all its glory was laid out before them. They felt on top of the world, only the colossal Taejin's Tower exceeding their height. Until, of course, they had noticed that the spot where they had stopped to look down on Pulse, was home to one of Pulse's deadliest creatures.

Fang ran her hands over her back, remembering the cuts the behemoth had grazed her with when Vanille and her were on that mountain.

But sensing Fang's sensitivity towards the memory, and to Fang's pleasure, Vanille did not continue. She stood up once more, gazing up at the night sky as the stars lit the vast sea of darkness. Fang smiled and joined her, taking Vanille's hand in her own as the two stared out into the void.

The moment was calm and peaceful. It was Vanille who broke the silence.

"Do you think we'll ever wake up, Fang?" Vanille spoke, a hint of concern escaping her lips.

_What?_ She thought. _What's Vanille talking about? We've already awoken! We wouldn't be here if we were still sleeping!_ Contemplating the meaning to Vanille's words opened up the flood gates of Fang's confusion once again. _Is this all a dream? Or is what I did before I went into crystal the dream and this is the reality? _More determined to get such thoughts away, she planned to change the subject, but was stopped short when Vanille turned around.

Tears. With the moon's light on her Vanille's tears looked like icicles as they clung to her skin. The sight tore Fang's heart out and ripped it pieces. When the two were children, Fang swore to protect Vanille, so she'd never cry again. Fang tried her best to do whatever she could to prevent Vanille from crying, but eventually, there were times where it was hard for Fang to keep herself from crying, and it broke her heart to see Vanille try and comfort her while tears were streaming down her cheeks.

Her auburn bangs attempted to mask Vanille's red and teary eyes but were brushed out of the way when Fang embraced Vanille.

"Shh. Don't cry, Vanille." The younger woman buried her head in Fang's chest, tears trickling down her flushed cheeks.

"It's going to be alright, ya hear?" Fang patted Vanille's head with one hand while her other was wrapped around the shorter woman's waist, keeping her in the tight embrace so Fang could take Vanille's burden off her shoulders.

"No more crying, Vanille. Everything is going to be fine. **I'll make sure of it.**_" _Fang emphasized the last part of the sentence, but remained gentle to Vanille, comforting her as best as she could.

Vanille pulled her head away from a moment to look at Fang, who was smiling assuringly to her. The older Pulsian leaned in and dotted her face with kisses. She placed a kiss on one eye, then the other. She kissed her left cheek, lingered there, tasting salt.

"I've got you, Vanille. It's going to be alright," Fang said comfortingly, which made a small smile cross Vanille's face, the waterworks stopping.

Fang touched her lips to her right cheek, then her forehead, and hugged Vanille tightly. Fang ran her fingers slowly through Vanille's bangs, tucking stray strands behind her ear. Vanille sniffled a little, but returned the embrace with as much affection the younger girl could muster.

"Thank you, Fang." the younger woman spoke.

Vanille rested her head on Fang's chest while Fang laid hers on top of Vanille's. Breathing in her scent, Fang remembered that Vanille would always smell like exotic spices. This time, Fang was greeted to a new scent, it confused the Pulsian woman, Vanille's new scent unknown to her. The only thing she could relate the scent to was crude oil and sawdust. Which confused Fang even more.

_Okay...things are really starting to get weird. Why is everything being so strange? Why did Vanille break down into tears after asking me a question? Why does Vanille smell differently then how I remember? _Fang replayed the question in her mind again and again. Confusion swelling back into her.

_Enough is enough. Its time I get some answers. I need to know whats going on. **Now. **_

Fang hadn't had her mouth half-way open to ask the question when she was already stopped by Vanille.

"Fang?" Vanille whispered quietly into her ear.

"Hm?" Fang responded, looking down at Vanille and smiling, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Look up!" Vanille grinned brightly, flashing very white teeth. Fang's curiosity got the better of her and she agreed.

"What the hell..." Fang's mouth gaped open. Utterly taken back at the site of Cocoon, suspended in the night sky by a tower of crystal.

_The same tower of crystal that Vanille and I created when we transformed into Ragnarok, _Fang thought. She blinked a multitude of times, hoping that the visage before her was not real.

Cocoon. The 'vipers nest' as those on Pulse would call it. Cocoon was the source of all their problems. The war five-hundred years in the past, their Focus, and bringing Vanille into this mess. It was the object of her hatred. Her anger towards fal'Cie living in Cocoon stripping away her home just to make the humans lives in the vipers nest just a little bit easier.

_I must be going insane._

When Fang and Vanille decided to complete their Focus, and save Cocoon, what was left after becoming Ragnarok was but a shell of its former life. A husk. An empty, lonely husk. Looking at it from below on Pulse, one always thought of Cocoon as a place of mystery. Where mothers would tell young children they'd be sent there if they misbehaved. Truth is, people on Pulse were angry at Cocoon. But they were also scared. Jealous maybe. It was true the other way around also. Well, she knew that the humans living on Cocoon were hell bent on eradicating anything from Pulse. Thats how Vanille and Fang first got into this mess.

_Fear. The one emotion that could control the hearts and minds of thousands._

Cocoon is different now. While it use to be the home to billions of human lives and millions of Fal'Cie controlling everything, now it was all gone. A small, glow emanated from Cocoon's core. Around Cocoon, great spikes of crystal thrust out to escape. A small sphere of webbed crystal was present as well. While impossibly far for anyone to see from this distance, Fang knew what was there. It was where Fang and Vanille lay suspended in crystal, facing each other after their job as Ragnarok was complete.

_Was it still there?_ Fang wondered. If this was a dream, that her doubts would be confirmed. If Vanille and her had awoken again...Well Fang didn't know what would happen.

Suddenly, Fang felt the ground beneath her fade away, and she sent spiraling down into darkness.

She was falling. How fast? Fang couldn't tell. Wind seared past her, blowing her up as she fell.

Where was she? Didn't matter. What's going on? Didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was where Vanille was.

_Where is she? _Fang twisted her body this way and that, but to no avail. Darkness enveloped her. Cold, unrelenting darkness.

"Vanille!" No response. Fang lashed out, trying to suppress her anger. She tried to reach out for something. Anything.

Like the light at the end of the tunnel, Fang was out of the darkness. The empty void of black around her shimmered and grew hazy. Dissipating soon as the flashing light grew louder.

Suddenly, she was flying. Descending towards the rocky surface of Pulse at alarmingly fast speeds. _It's a nightmare, Fang. Just a really. Weird. Nightmare. _

Fang flipped in air, so now her back was facing the impending ground. Hair flew in her face as Cocoon, now unfrozen floated above her, mocking her, Fang clawed at the air, as if one attack might swat Cocoon out of the sky.

"Fang!" A voice called out to her. _Vanille._ Fang spun around, exhaling a sigh of relief as Vanille rocketed towards Pulse with her, only a few feet in the air away.

"Take my hand!" Fang cried out to Vanille. Hand outstretched but words lost in the wind. Vanille got the message though and tightly grasped onto Fang's hand for dear life. Her arms wrapped around Fang's waist only encouraged the older woman to keep Vanille in her protective embrace longer. Fang turned their bodies around, so when they collide with the Pulse Fang would take the brunt of the blow.

"Fang, stop!" Vanille's words were full of tears. It seemed in that in this hazy mass of confusion Vanille was still able to piece together that Fang was trying to save her, yet again. But from this height and speed, Fang wondered: _Would we be able to survive even if I took the crash for her?_

Vanille wrenched her way out of Fang's grasp and looked back at her, a smile masking her true worries and concerns for their fate.

"Vanille!" A powerful gust of wind blowing the two Pulsians away from each other and spiraling out of control. Fang outstretched an arm again in a vain attempt to bring Vanille back. She shot her hand back when she realized it wasn't exactly a hand anymore.

The oversized appendage was more reminiscent of of a decaying tree trunk. Fang's 'arm' was a mucky ice blue. Chunks of who-knows-what jutting out from the side. Fingers were now swollen blue pieces of bark.

"What the hell is goi-Aaah!" Fang's normal hand covered her ear, shielding her from a powerful ringing noise. Fang looked herself over, her legs becoming more skinny and gangly looking. Soon enough her normal hand had swelled and copied the other. Two flailing tree trunk arms thrashing wildly in the wind as Fang continued on an almost never ending fall.

_What's going on? _Fang mentally screamed out to herself. The answer was already before her.

Fang was becoming a Cie'th.

Frightened to her core she frantically looked for Vanille, whose physical conditions by some miracle were still normal. She was crying however, tears streaming down her face before being swept upwards by the wind as she spiraled down.

Suddenly they weren't in the air anymore, but back on the grassy flower-filled clearing that Fang had first arrived on. Vanille was standing away from Fang, standing on a rocky outcropping where she could stare at Pulse.

"I have to go Fang." Vanille's words showed no emotion this time. Nothing.

Fang groaned, trying to get up but found herself too heavy to stand. She pounded the ground with her tree trunk fists. The fists of a Cie'th.

Trying to form words were impossible. Any attempt had came out as a low guttural moan.

_Wait!_

Fang pounded the earth again. Grunting and groaning, desperately fighting to get the words out for Vanille to hear.

_Don't leave me! _

Tears began to pour down Fang's cheeks, her crying didn't last long however. The rest of her body began to adjust to her Cie'th transformation. Swelling in size, head hunched low as a dirty blue stone grew around her. Encasing her in the prison of being a Cie'th. Of being away from Vanille.

_You can't leave me..._

Fang howled like a wounded animal in a trap. Pounding at the ground, crawling across the grass for what seemed like an eternity to reach Vanille- who was still facing away from Fang.

_Not again..._

"I'm sorry, Fang. I need to go." Vanille had turned towards what Fang used to be. Her hand caressing Fang's now bluish skin. Blue rock began to cover over Fang's mouth, only muffled howls and cries escaping.

_I didn't have the chance to tell you..._

Vanille turned her back to Fang once again. Her voice stern now. "Do me one favor before I go, Fang."

She breathed in heavily.

"Wake up, Fang. You've got to wake up."

Tears began to stream down Fang's deformed body. The Cie'th transformation was almost complete.

_I couldn't tell you...that I..._

"Wake up, Fang." Vanille said. One last achingly long time.

The metamorphosis was complete. A pair of thin, pale, bluish hands slid over Fang's eyes.

Fang had returned to the darkness. Again.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey, people! Well, this is chapter 2 of the story that I'm writing. If you're interested in what the hell is going on in the story, don't fret! I'll be keeping this going for awhile!**

**Rated T for language.**

**Summary: Fang wakes up from her dream, in some unknown place. Memories of her past life flood her mind as she tries to get to grips with what's happening. However, she finds that she isn't alone...**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the character I created.**

**Enjoy!**

**Update: Managed to fix up some grammar mistakes, but all credit for that goes to Lady Midday**

**-Journey**

* * *

Awake

Chapter 2: Prisoner

"Blood pressure is returning to normal, sir." a woman's voice spoke.

"Good," now a man with a deep voice was speaking. "Heart rate?"

Fang mentally groaned. She could tell there were voices around her, but Fang couldn't quite make out what the voices were saying. It was all confusing to Fang's groggy mind.

_Where am I?_

Fang attempted to move her body, to say something aloud, but found herself without the energy to do so.

_Ugh...my head is pounding._

"Ninety-six beats per minute, sir." Fang could hear the woman's voice pierce through the thick layer of fog clouding up her ears.

"Vitals are in good shape, and her blood pressure, heart rate, and brain wave activity are returning to normal levels." the deep-voiced man responded.

Fang could hear the sound of hands clapping; a cold sweat forming on her forehead and brow as she started to regain her bearings.

"Prepare her for the next injection." A third voice ordered. The other two made sounds of agreement and Fang could hear the 'thrumming' sound of a machine being turned on and powered up.

_What's going on?_

Fang was still confused as to what was actually happening, but became quickly aggravated by the fact that she had virtually no energy to move her body, or speak her concerns. It seemed like she had enough energy to simply lie there and exist.

"Sir. You might want to see this." the woman's voiced sounded surprised.

Fang could hear the shuffle of feet and boots scraping across the metal floor. The voices to Fang began to sound melodramatic.

"Blood pressure is increasing dramatically! Her heart rate is speeding up! Vitals are unresponsive!"

Fang could hear the 'thrumming' noise grow louder, threatening to swallow her up.

The woman's voice was laced with fear and desperation. "She's coding, sir! Her body is rejecting the last injection!"

The third voice, still indescribable to Fang, was stern and calm.

"Shock her, then prepare her for another injection."

Fang's closed eyes shut tighter as a bright light flooded in. Followed by a sharp, painful ringing noise in her ears.

Fang could hear one of the people shoving back his or her chair violently; boots scraping across the metal floor again, and the male's voice telling the female to grab the defibrillator.

Fang could feel the shallow breathes the of the woman who hastily scrambled over to her.

The ringing was getting even louder now as Fang heard the woman speak again.

"Clear!" The woman breathed in heavily and held it inside. By now, even Fang was feeling anticipation build up.

Then, she felt it. Two ice-cold metal plates were quickly pressed against her bare skin. It was then, when she actually noticed that was she completely naked. She heard a distinct 'click' from a machine in the far corner of the room and a 'thump' from the metal plates shoved on top of her.

Electricity surged through her body like wildfire. Small bolts of lightning dancing across her skin. Every single part of her, right down to the bone, was vibrating as she rode the shock; her body beginning to convulse.

Everything was white, for a brief few moments. It was calm. Peaceful. After what felt like an eternity of pain, Fang felt quite relaxed actually. It was strange, the shock she was given made Fang feel at bliss.

After wading through the confusion of the dream she had, the shock made her feel alive again. Feeling aside, Fang knew that this time around, she wasn't dreaming.

A needle was placed at Fang's solar plexus, and a sharp pinch followed swiftly.

Now the feeling was great!

Fang could feel the energy return to her battered body. She felt her muscles and bones revitalize and becoming functional again. Speaking out loud didn't seem impossible anymore. With her strength returning, Fang felt on top of the world. Felling a behemoth with her bare hands? Piece of cake. Running the span of the Archylte Steppe on Gran Pulse for a morning jog? Easy.

The sensational feeling of being all-powerful caused a smile to form on Fang's lips.

She heard the voice's muttering to each other again, but Fang couldn't interpret them to something she could understand. After a few minutes, or what felt like a few hours, Fang heard the three people leave wherever Fang and them were.

Fang opened her eyes.

* * *

Fang had her eyes open fast, relieved that shock she received gave her the energy to do so. She rolled her head a few times, receiving a delightful 'crack' around her neck. She felt what remnants of the surge of electricity run through her; she was reminded that the dream she had with Vanille before, was still a dream, but now, Fang was awake. Truly awake now after all the bones and muscles in her body that were aching and tired, were now full of energy and functional again. For the most part anyway.

Gray. That seemed to be where she was. A large, dull, gray room. Walls from some sort of metal that Fang couldn't discern bordered her. Thin black lines carved into the gray walls held her attention while she was trying to figure out where exactly she was.

_One...two...three...four...five. _Fang counted the lines on each wall. The lines all originated from a singular point in the center of the wall facing her. A white orb placed into the wall with gray arches around it provided some illumination, and on Fang's opposite side, she assumed, because for some reason she couldn't turn all the way around, that the black lines collided into another white orb. Occasionally, two or three blocks of red streamed through the lines, and Fang heard a chime each time the blocks reached the orbs. The room was wide, with a high ceiling. Windowless, and completely empty except for her, the orbs, a few gray metal barrels and what appeared to be a ramshackle Dreadnought. The brown metal armor of the large robot making a stark contrast to the otherwise dull room.

Fang looked up at the ceiling, and to her discovery Fang found that she was chains. The chains were quite long, able to extend the 30 feet or so from the ceiling to where Fang was on the floor. Testing the chains, she realized that someone, or something may have been watching her. Fang could hear the flick of a few switches after, the thrumming of a machine. Finally the chains slowly beginning their ascent towards the ceiling, dragging Fang up with them. She protested, trying to break the chains, but was ignored by the metal, and Fang found herself suspended in the air, about halfway from the floor and halfway from the ceiling.

Fang was held up by two chains. One chain attached to each wrist by the means of manacles and fastened tight. The otherwise gray chains began to glow a vibrant, and annoying neon green light that left Fang feeling sick after staring at it for too long. She tested the chains again, but nothing different was apparent then from the last time she tested them.

_Strong and sure. If these chains were meant to keep me locked up...whoever did this did a damn good job. _

Fang sighed, noting that it was cold enough for her breath to be seen.

_It doesn't look like I'll be getting out of here anytime soon. _

Head spinning, Fang closed her eyes for a moment to calm down. Knots began forming in the pits of her stomach, making Fang believe for a moment that she would actually vomit.

_Dammit. Things just go from bad to worse. _

For some reason, feeling sick was more of an annoyance than being chained up in a place she wasn't familiar with. Which, by the way, she didn't actually know why she wasn't freaking out like most others would be in her place. Wether it was the strange sick-to-her-stomach feeling from staring at the chains, or have electricity shot through her body, Fang felt oddly calm about the whole situation. Oddly enough she hadn't yet concerned herself with questions like: How did I get here? Or what's going on?

Fang looked above her, noting a large, yet unsurprisingly gray vent directly above her head, matching the vent directly below her. The Pulsian woman could only see the fan spinning quietly behind the vent, and nothing but darkness between the moving blades.

Slowly but surely Fang's mind began returning to her; senses becoming normal again. She finally looked herself up and down, breathing a sigh of relief that she still had her clothes on. Well, most of her clothes still on.

_Hey...my sari's gone..._

The blue article of clothing Fang traditionally wore had vanished off her person, replaced with multiple bandages wrapping around her torso, just below her black shirt and above her black shorts. Fang shifted her body slightly, feeling that the bandages wrapped around her body were damp from what felt like blood. Still not phased by this, Fang's bigger concern towards the bandages were that they reeked like something foul.

Fang rolled her shoulders back, grateful that the chains tightly bound around her wrists were at least long enough for her to move into a more comfortable position while still in her state of bondage. She observed her arms outstretched above her head. Her skin was dirty; Fang could tell that she needed a bath sooner or later. Before leaving her arms to continue killing time by looking around the room, Fang did a double take, noticing that her tattoo had vanished as well.

_I wake up in chains, my clothes are gone, and now my tattoo is gone also! Whoever did this is so going to get their ass kicked once I get my way with them. _

Fang huffed; concluding that if her captors took her clothes, that they probably took her spear also.

She felt completely out of it. Everything was so new and out of place to the Pulsian woman. Waking up for a second time from her crystal stasis could mean that she was hundreds of years into the future. She dismissed the thought from her mind. While it was probable that Fang was hundreds of years into the future, just like how Vanille and her woke up 500 years into the future after the pair became Ragnarok, it was also as likely that Fang was crystallized this second time for only a few days.

Fang tried running the dream she had by her again. While earlier, recalling the dream seemed impossible, she renewed her efforts, determined to understand what had happened during her dormancy. Interpreting the dream was a long and arduous process, but Fang came to the conclusion that whatever might've happened in the past, or will happen in the future, she could not become a Cie'th. There wasn't really any choice in the matter to Fang. Not when she had Vanille to protect.

Fang gasped, cursing under her breath for being so stupid and unaware before; finally realizing that Vanille was nowhere in sight.

"Vanille!" Fang spoke with concern in her voice, saying her companion's name as more of a statement than a question.

The words from Fang's lips echoed off the gray, metal walls, in case someone else didn't hear Fang the first time around.

Fang twisted her head left and right, pulling hard on the chains that bound her wrists. She redoubled her efforts at breaking free, but still to no avail.

"Vanille!" Fang cried out again. This time she spoke with more fear than concern in her voice.

Yet still, there was no answer from her companion. The only thing that responded to Fang's desperate cries was herself, the sound waves of her voice rebounding off the surrounding walls, repeating her message.

Then, there was only silence. A dark, eerie, frightening silence swallowing Fang whole. She felt alone. Alone in someplace she knew not. Worst of all, Fang thought, she was alone without Vanille by her side.

It was easy to tell that Fang and Vanille were special to each other. Fang was always the one to make it apparent that Vanille was hers, and if someone wanted Vanille, well, that person had to go through Fang. Which never happened, as most people would rather face a viscous pack of gorgonopsids, fight through the storm of biting teeth, sharp claws, and poisonous breath than face Fang, who was much, much, worse than that pack of violent gorgonopsids when someone hurt Vanille, or made her cry.

Even back in Oerba, the two's hometown, people had known of Fang and Vanille's relationship. While most of the towns populace was accepting of the couple, a few villagers clung to their old ways, treating the two with much disdain. Besides the few who were so against the two women's relationship, others would rather not get in the way of what the two shared. Not out of fear would the people of Oerba not try to stop the two from 'becoming an item', it was more out of respect that the community let them be, as any wrongs the two of them might have committed would be absolved whence the pair became Ragnarok.

Fang was content with how their townspeople treated them, as long as Vanille would just keep on living just as she always would. As long as she's happy, Fang knew that she herself would be happy. Becoming a l'Cie meant having to complete a Focus, which provided two results: Turning into crystal, or becoming a Cie'th, an abomination of mankind. A monster of society bent of destruction until their Focus is complete. Fang promised Vanille that she would do anything to prevent that from happening, to either of them.

_I'll tear down the sky to save her..._

Fang remembered saying the same line to Lightning back in Palumpolum. Which further reminded her of Light and the others. Were they still alive? Fang couldn't answer that question. She'd have to figure out how long she's been in crystal to figure out. Whether her friends were alive or not, wasn't the problem though, Vanille was gone, and that was Fang's Focus now.

Fang had always put Vanille first, even before herself. That's how things were always done, and Fang didn't seem like changing things now.

But now strange feelings washed over Fang, similar to when Fang and Vanille awoke from crystal the first time, and then being separated. It was an overwhelming sense of loneliness. It was simple though, she was only feeling this way due to Vanille's absence. Without Vanille, Fang just didn't feel whole anymore.

* * *

_Cid Raines..._

Was he still alive? Fang thought to herself, surprised that he of all people invaded Fang's thoughts after she had calmed down from Vanille's absence. After Fang discovered that Cid was still alive after fighting her and the others, she questioned the fate of the ex-Calvary commander when the soldiers he once commanded attacked Eden en route to destroy Orphan. Fang felt like she owed the guy, indirectly having a part in reuniting her and Vanille.

Hashing up old memories brought the other l'Cie she had met during her trip.

She had met Snow first.

Back in Lake Bresha, Fang was tasked by Cid Raines to track down the other l'Cie, and upon arrival at the slopes of the serene crystallized lake she had found the gargantuan man. The blond haired man was extremely reckless, like herself, but unlike Fang, Snow had the tendency to act without thinking.

Snow was always the 'hero' of the group; which Fang and the others thought was extremely cheesy, but she still had respect for the man. His fiancee, Serah, had been turned to crystal, and Snow was now determined to save Cocoon, like she pleaded him to do, save Serah, and become a true hero. Fang called him a cheeky bastard once; Snow was naïve at times, but he had guts. To Fang, that's all that really mattered.

Lightning was next on the list. Out of the six, Lightning was the one to step up and be the leader. While Fang was physically stronger than the soldier girl, Lightning had a certain type of strength that gave her a cold, take-charge attitude, but the pink haired girl was the one to keep everyone in line. Lightning made sure everyone in the party was able to complete their Focus, even if she was characterized as 'up-tight' and 'angry'. The Pulsian woman and the soldier girl had their fights on occasion; Fang was determined to crack Lightning's outer shell and see what was really going on inside.

The other two she met, Sazh and Hope, Fang didn't have as much time to get to know as she did the others. She never really had a chance to speak with Sazh that much during the time the two knew each other. She wrote him off as just another skeptic about Pulse. She didn't like her homeland being insulted, after all. Hope was another skeptic about Pulse, which by the way almost everyone on Cocoon was. But she grew to be fond of the little boy. At fourteen years of age, had grew to be much more mature by the end of their shared Focus. Plus his Eidolon, Alexander, surprised her with his immense strength, something she never thought would come from the little boy.

"_Since when have heroes ever needed plans?"_

Fang remembered what Snow said to her before they met Lightning and Hope at Palumpolum. An empty smirk appeared on her lips; she knew she wasn't exactly the hero type, besides, it seemed like she couldn't simply wing her escape from wherever the hell she was by just just going on instinct.

_What would Vanille do?_

Fang chuckled to herself.

_She's more likely to make friends with whoever's here than anything else._

Vanille had that type of bubbly, energetic personality that would grow on you. She was the kind of girl that you just couldn't stay mad at.

Fang's mind returned towards thoughts of Vanille. While bringing up the good memories the two Pulsians had shared was nice, it brought back the loneliness and guilt after realizing how easily Fang had lost her. But she was determined this time.

_Stop feeling lonely, dammit! Letting myself drown in these emotions is going to be the end of me!_

_Its time to stop wallowing around and sulking like a baby; I need to toughen up. _

Fang cracked her neck for emphasis.

_Come on, Fang! I can turn this around, I always have...kinda. I can't let these feelings take control over me. I gotta use them to keep me going. To keep me fighting! To keep me alive until Vanille is in my arms once again! Safe and sound._

Even though Fang couldn't join her hands together, due to the chains, she shifted her fingers into the typical Oerban prayer.

_I promise. _

Deep in the pits of the woman's stomach, Fang felt anger building up inside of her. She was angry at the world. Angry that the god's had crushed her and Vanille's lives; toying with them like they were just puppets.

The anger grew into a deep hatred. Fang hated that she knew she was right. Humans were just puppets to the fal'Cie, on Cocoon anyway. The vipers' nest was a paradise to the humans who lived their, but on Pulse, Cocoon embodied fear, mystery, and death, and Fang hated what the fal'Cie of Cocoon were doing to her planet. Stripping away the beautiful landscapes, taking vital resources, and generally causing more harm than good, for the simple task of improving the lives of human's they took care of.

Fang hated how the world had taken Vanille away from her. After waking up after five-hundred years, Fang and Vanille were only together for a few days, before separating. Fang sacrificed herself so that Vanille could run away, even if it meant death for Fang. Vanille was always the strong one. She would find a way to continue, Fang knew she would.

_I'll destroy the world again to save Vanille. And if that's what needs to be done, I'll make sure no one comes back to harm her._

_I promise._

_

* * *

_

Fang sniffled, trying to hold back a tear. She pulled at the chains again, struggling with renewed vitality to get free. However, she was stopped by a familiar scent; breathing in through her nose.

_Oil and sawdust..._

Fang's distraught mood brightened for a moment when the dream she recently had flashed back into her mind. She faintly remembered that Vanille had smelt like crude oil and sawdust, noting how unusually strange it was.

"Vanille?"

Fang was quiet now; but she already knew the question meant nothing. Instead she changed the topic, trying to formulate her escape plan.

_First things first. Before looking for Vanille, I need to figure out where I am, when I am, and what the hell is going on. Then, after I get my questions answered, I can smash whoever's face into the wall for chaining me to the ceiling._

Fang explored the room again with her eyes. She was still faced towards what she assumed was an entrance door, and she couldn't see what was behind her. Fang concluded that the metal barrels she saw were the containers for the oil she smelled. The Dreadnought opposite the oil containers was in a desolate state of disrepair. Fang was never that good with the technology the armies of Pulse used, and she didn't even try logically figuring out any type of technology on Cocoon, which was far more advanced.

Particles of sawdust, glinting like tiny tanish-brown specks floated undisturbed through the room. Wrinkling her nose a bit, Fang stifled a sneeze.

Suddenly the large fan behind the vent above Fang's head sprung to life, causing the Pulsian woman to gasp in surprise. Soon enough, powerful jets of air were sent from the rapidly rotating fan, through Fang, and towards the vent directly below her. The gusts of wind reminded her of the recent dream she had with Vanille, specifically when Fang and Vanille were falling out of the sky.

Lowering her head down, Fang shivered and quietly whispered to herself, resisting sleeps grasp from claiming her.

"Damn, its cold in here..." After not speaking for what seemed like ages, the words were hard to form and struggled to get past Fang's lips.

The trouble speaking wasn't bothering Fang though. She was more concerned with the faint blush forming over her cheeks; a little embarrassed about how her body decided to give out the fact that she was cold. Fang was at least glad that, in her field-of-view, there was no one in sight. Besides, if there was someone else, they were bound to have made a noise by now, right?

_Once I get out of these chains, I gotta find my clothes. These shorts and my shirt aren't going to cut it with temperatures this low._

Fang exhaled deeply, confirming her unsaid question when she saw how she could see her own breath, a fine mist, before floating away.

Fang tested the chains once more, as if by doing this menial task over and over again would have caused the chains to rust and disintegrate so she could be liberated.

_If I can't get out of her now, then I might as well wait till the one in charge of this dump stops by for a visit._

Fang swallowed a lump in her throat.

_Hopefully, right?_

Determined to keep the negative thoughts banished from her mind, Fang pursed her lips together and started to whistle. It was a happy tune; an attempt to lift Fang's spirits. Fang and Vanille would typically find themselves whistling the melody while out on the vast lands of Gran Pulse. It helped pass the time, Fang thought, when Vanille and her had been talking for hours, and would eventually run out of things to say. Wether after a hard days worth of chores, or while skinning an animal, or simply while strolling through Oerba, Fang would whistle aloud while Vanille would join in, dancing and humming along according to the rhythm.

After a few moments of whistling, Fang reached the part in her song where Vanille would usually chime in. Fang smiled happily, that even in her memories she could hear Vanille's voice humming in sync with her. Fang continued to whistle; enjoying the somewhat duet she was having with the figments of Vanille's voice she retained in the depths of her mind.

When she finished the song, Fang realized that she was wrong. Once her own whistling had stopped, the humming which she thought was coming from the Vanille in her head was still going.

_That sounds a bit too real to be coming from my memory...then again...it sounds to deep to sound like how Vanille hums. _

Fang gulped, feeling knots form in her stomach.

Was someone here besides her?

"What? Not going to continue?" A voice answered Fang's question before she even asked. She heard a chuckle, from someone, somewhere behind her.

"Come on, sing it again. I think I actually liked that."

Fang blinked a few times, startled by the voice that was speaking to her. The voice was clearly male, and Fang could sense a tiny hint of smugness behind the voice. But the stranger was oddly calm, like as if nothing really important was happening right now. The man sounded young, maybe a few years older than herself, Fang thought.

_Was he here the whole time?_

Fang twisted her head as far as she could, but still unable to catch a glimpse of the speaker. Unsatisfied by this, Fang steered her head forward, and calmly, removing any doubts for the moment, spoke to the stranger.

"W-who are you?"

Fang's voice was a little shaky. _So much for being confident. Being locked up in here must'a messed up my mojo._

Fang just received a laugh in return, and despite not being able to see the male, Fang could tell her was grinning.

"You didn't answer my question. Won't you continue your song? I kinda liked it actually."

_Smart guy, huh?_ Fang thought, knowing this guy was going to be trouble right from the start.

"Don't play games with me, kid!" Fang shouted to the stranger, her words bouncing across the walls for emphasis.

"Now who are you? And where's Vanille?"

This time the Pulsian woman received a snort from the male. She raised an eyebrow, unseen to the foreigner, anticipating a reply.

"Nuh uh. You tell me your name first, missy."

An angry noise brewed in Fang's throat, borderline growling to the man.

"I told you! Who are you? And where's Vanille?"

Fang honestly didn't know why she was _this_ angry at the person. But she wasn't one to play games with people she didn't know. Especially when she was locked up in chains, in someplace she didn't know, and who knows when.

The male sighed heavily, seemingly disappointed that Fang wasn't going to play along.

"If by Vanille, you mean that peppy little red-head, girl-" he paused and Fang quickly aware of the dreaded suspense building inside her.

"-Then I don't know. They took her out of the holding cell yesterday. I'm not sure what happened after the scientists got their hands on her."

_Thats it? The unconfirmed fate of my best friend and this is as much as he knows? Maker be my witness when I get out of these fucking chains someone's going to get their ass kicked. I've got questions, and there's gotta be one guy in this dump who's got an answer. _

"Damn." Fang said quietly to herself, hanging her head down.

"Thanks though...and uhh-" Fang coughed nervously after that, a little embarrassed for what she was going to do.

"I uhh...I guess I should apologize for exploding on you back there. We're cool, yeh?"

Fang was greeted with another laugh from the stranger. But she ignored it and continued on with her apology, intent on trying to make friends with one person here who might be able to help her.

"I'm Fang, by the way. Yours?"

"Hey, Fang." the male replied. His voice radically different now. Fang couldn't hear the smugness in the man's voice anymore.

"PSICOM calls me Project: Blaze. But you can just call me Blaze for short."

Fang nodded, glad that things were actually going somewhere now. Before she was about to start asking any more questions, she was stopped by Blaze.

"Welcome to the world, Fang. You're a L'Cie now."

There was a pause, too quick for Fang to process what he was actually saying.

"We both are."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Well, here's chapter 3. Please read it (well duh) and a review would be nice as well :D. I want to get better at writing, so feel free to criticize. If I have grammar mistakes (which I'm sure I do) feel free to pm me them and I'll update with it all patched up. Expect action in the next chapter! Finally there's gonna be some violence! :D **

**Summary: Fang and Blaze both have questions for each other, but what Blaze tells Fang causes her to endanger herself by increasing the growth of her brand. Blaze talks about the story Vanille told him before she was mysteriously taken away, and reveals more about why he is labeled a 'Project'**

**Disclaimer: Well...I think everyone knows what goes here. I own nothing but the characters I create, which is just Blaze and the other's.**

**Rated T for language.**

**Enjoy!**

**-Journey**

**Awake**

**Chapter 3: Explanations**

"Welcome to the world, Fang. You're a l'Cie now."

"We both are."

"What!" Fang yelled, her voice echoing across the metal walls. There was anger in her voice, but the man could also sense a deep down fear in her words.

_Dammit. If what this guy say's is true tha -no. No it can't be true. It just can't._

"How do you know?"

Fang asked Blaze, the male stranger she had met minutes ago, unknown to his presence and still unaware of what he looked like. The thought of wether the voice is just her mind playing tricks on her or not is enough to send shivers down her spine.

"You've received the injection, Fang,"

The man replied, remaining calm, a stark contrast to Fang's feelings of utter dread.

"that rather means you're a l'Cie, or dying. And from this view, I'd say you're in pretty good shape."

Fang looked down, there were the bandages wrapped snuggly across her torso. She came to the conclusion that this was where she was injected, and while she hoped wasn't, where her brand would be when the strips of damp, white cloth would be torn away.

_Well I'm certainly not dying. Not now at least. My bones and muscles felt rejuvenated, and even better than before! Which means that this guy's correct. I'm a god damn l'Cie. Which reminds me...why didn't I examine the brand on my arm before?_

Fang left herself unanswered, glad that the silence Blaze gave her was helping her sort out her thoughts.

The silence continued for a few minutes. Being the third time around this happened to her, Fang was taking the whole thing much better than most others would. Then again, she had Vanille to worry about, and she came first.

Fang twisted her head, hearing a satisfying crack from her neck. Her eyes rested on the destroyed Dreadnaught lying shamelessly in the corner of the room. When fully functional, there would be more than enough space in this room, the holding cell, for the Dreadnaught to walk around, and possibly even fight comfortably in.

She looked at the chains that bound her. The neon-green had annoyed Fang before, but now, their effects seem diminished against the Pulsian woman. Thoughts of escape came into mind. Anything ranging from biting her way out of the chains, which seemed impossible, to just breaking them off the wall through sheer strength.

Another shiver was sent down Fang's spine; it was unusually cold in this room. She was cold without her sari, with only her black shorts and abbreviated black sleeveless shirt. Her wide array of jewelry around her neck and wrists were gone too, another trophy PSICOM took from her when they locked her up in here.

Public Safety and Information Command, that was what PSICOM stood for. A misleading acronym, Fang thought. PSICOM was the elite branch of the military back on Cocoon, before Vanille and her became Ragnarok. Now it was just another thing Fang chalked up to being somehow able to survive Cocoon's loss of power due to Orphan's death, Cocoon almost crashing into Pulse, and Cocoon's entire crystallization. Fang knew the floating machine-planet was tough, but she didn't expect it to weather an attack from Ragnarok once, and an attack the second time. Though, the second time it was more of _saving_ Cocoon than actually destroying it.

Saving Cocoon, the place she was raised to hate and despise, just as much as children on Cocoon were raised to hate and fear everyone and everything from Pulse, was another one of the promises Fang gave to Vanille.

One of the few promises she managed to keep true to her.

* * *

The chains bound across her wrists reminded Fang of her imprisonment.

_What world have I woken up to...?_

The thought crossed her mind, hoping that there was still a world outside of this cell after what she had done.

Fang glanced at her shoulder, where her burnt-out l'Cie brand used to be. It was a testament, a reminder, of her past sins. Twice now, she had worn the mark, taken on her Focus and completed it in some fashion. Now, it seemed she had to go through hell for a third time. The mark was gone now, her tanned skin seemed untouched, unchanged, as if the brand was never there in the first place.

But Fang knew it was there, even when the brand was not apparent. The brand was what gave her the power to transform into Ragnarok with Vanille. Ragnarok was the beast, the entity of anger and wanton destruction that would destroy Cocoon and bring back the Maker. But to do so, Fang had to bear the burden of murdering the millions of lives that inhabited Cocoon. She promised Vanille that she would save Cocoon, and when the pair became the fated beast, that's just what they did.

_No...denying my fate won't get me anywhere. I'm a l'Cie again, so I just have to grin and take it. My Focus is to find Vanille, and keep her safe, regardless of what any damned fal'Cie says. _

Fang exhaled heavily again. Another question, as predictable as it was, found its way into her mind's eye.

_What is my Focus anyway?_

Fang thought to herself, preparing to battle the confusion that was soon to follow.

_I never received a vision like I did the last two times..._

_Unless that dream was actually the 'clue to my Focus'_

But what did that mean than? A Focus to become a Cie'th? Couldn't be. It made no sense at all to the Pulsian woman.

_Then again, _Fang reasoned, f_al'Cie work in mysterious ways. They're always coming up with new ways to destroy the lives of the human's that eternally worship them as god's._

Fal'Cie, were, like humans, another creation of the Maker. Giant mechanical constructs of supernatural power, formed and powered by the crystals inside them. Fal'Cie are an existence beyond human comprehension, and posses incredible magic power. While many on Pulse and Cocoon alike saw them as god's, for reasons like how they are responsible for maintaining the world around them, and generally improving the lives of the human's.

"_The Maker created fal'Cie. And fal'Cie, in desperation to become reunited with the Maker, created l'Cie._"

Vanille's words flooded into Fang. She was confused; having no recollection of when Vanille had actually said this to her, or to anyone else for that matter. But for a short, fleeting moment, Fang was able to feel Vanille's presence. Right by her side, how it always was.

_What's going on?_

Fang scrambled through her past memories, failing somehow. Blocked by a thick fog, that barred passage into a few select memories while Fang was seemingly able to recall memories she never experienced before, but that _Vanille_ had experienced instead.

* * *

As the minutes began to grow into well over what felt like an hour, Blaze finally broke the silence.

"Deprecation's won't do you any good. The scientists told me I've been here for a year like this, my Focus...Focus was it? Bah, I can't seem to chronicle any of what these scientists inform me of anymore. But I digress...wait. What was I talking about again?"

Fang mentally placed her palm over her face.

_What the hell is up with this guy? One minute he's speaking like a normal person, and now it doesn't even sound like he's speaking actual words. _

Fang could tell that this guy was going to be a handful, and she didn't really feel like babysitting right now.

_When I get out of here...he is so not tagging along._

Fang remained silent for a few minutes, well what felt like minutes. It was impossible to tell time in the holding cell.

There weren't any clocks to tell the time, and without a window for sunlight, Fang was clueless as to wether it was daytime or nighttime.

Blaze noted the woman's muteness, and cracked an unseen smile.

"What? Can't handle big words? Come back to the world, sweet cheeks, you gotta have some form of intelligence."

Fang scowled him, the man in question unable to tell. Her confusion grew even more due to his sudden flip in personality from the slightly smug, aloof yet reckless-sounding man, to an intellectual type, calm and conservative, and back again.

"So,"

Fang finally spoke.

"We really are l'Cie, huh?"

"Yup." Blaze responded, any hint of emotion from his words were lost to Fang, who gave up on trying to figure him out.

_Why does this guy sound like he doesn't care? Doesn't he know what a l'Cie does?_

Fang resumed being silent.

Minutes later, as she was finally about to speak again, Fang was interrupted by the large fan above her sparking to life. The deep thrumming noise coming from the fan almost distracted her from the sound of the fan blades scraping across the metal around them. The fan was powerful, a bit unnecessarily powerful, Fang thought. She didn't think it was being used to cool down the room. No, the room was freezing as it is.

Fang's eye's closed, reminding her of how tired she actually was.

_How long have I been awake? Hours? A day or two? Time doesn't seem to flow in this place. Not like I could tell the time anyway, nothing here. You'd think that the damn prison guards or these scientists this guy is talking about would be kind enough to put in one little clock so the poor prisoners could count down the minutes tell they die. But no, even when in prison, I'm stuck with the small end of the stick._

Fang sighed. Why should she be worrying about herself when Vanille wasn't even here?

"Vanille...?"

Fang resumed the slightly one-sided conversation, bringing Blaze back to attention.

"Vanille...is she...?"

Fang's words trailed off; she couldn't bring herself to utter the words that would rip her heart out.

Blaze grunted, and rattled the chains, which finally gave Fang the notice that he was in chains too.

The unknown man mumbled something like an agreement; Fang could tell he was holding _something_ back.

"I wouldn't know." He began. Sighing, he tried his best to sound as comforting as possible.

"I never got a chance to see her for more than a few minutes yesterday."

The plan to sound comforting crashed and burned, so Blaze resorted to humor.

"She looked pretty while she slept, I bet all the guys would like to get into her pants, eh?"

Fang growled. She wanted to make it obvious that she didn't like when people talked about Vanille like that. One of reasons, and there were many others, Fang promised to protect Vanille. In turn, this caused the pair to grow feelings for each other, and Fang was happy for that. To feel wanted by someone, missed, _loved. _That was Fang's reward for all the things she sacrificed for Vanille. As long as the cheery girl stayed in her life, that's all that Fang needed.

* * *

Fang couldn't decide what was worse: knowing that her best friend is a l'Cie, or that Fang couldn't even tell if Vanille was alive or not.

"By the way," Blaze spoke up, ending the silence that was actually quite comforting to Fang.

"What exactly _is,_a l'Cie anyway?"

_What? Is this guy joking around? Or just a moron?_

"You're a l'Cie, yet you don't know what one is?" Fang spat back with as much disdain as she could; Now was not the time to play games.

A chuckle bounced across the metal walls of the containment cell, reminding Fang, yet again, that here she was: a l'Cie, a prisoner, and with some strange guy that she just couldn't figure out.

"The scientists never told me much when I woke up around a year ago." Blaze still kept an innocent tone in his words.

"Basically, it came down to this: I'm a l'Cie named Project: Blaze. I was born to serve PSICOM, and will die for their militaristic beliefs. And when I die, I would have left a trail of death and decay in my stead."

Blaze grunted. "Or some crap like that."

_So...that just made things one hundred times worse. Project: Blaze? PSICOM, alive? One question opens the door to hundreds. Great._

"Your friend, Vanille right?"

Hearing her friends name brought her out of her stupor. Her ears perked up and she was prepared to listen intently to what this man said. He seemed to be full of secret's already, but if he knew something about Vanille, this is what she really needed to listen too.

"She had told me a little about what a Focus and what a l'Cie was, but not much to get a good grasp on the subject..."

Blaze's voice trailed off as Fang interrupted him.

"You spoke to Vanille? When? What did she say? Answer me!"

Fang spoke quickly, desperate to shove the words out of her mouth. Her demand was only met with a chuckle from the man.

"Keep it in your pants, Fang. Answer my questions and I'll answer yours."

Fang growled again, fighting the urge to smack him across the back of his head.

_Answer my questions, dammit! Mine are more important than yours!_

"_Keep it in your pants." _The sentence crossed her mind; she had said the exact same sentence to Snow when she brought him to Cid Raines, aboard the _Lindblum,_ a massive airship under Calvary control.

_Well I'm no history teacher...but how hard is it to explain the concept that the brand on his body is essentially a ticking time bomb?_

"Fine." She mumbled under her breath.

_Let's get this over with. If this guy starts crying and freaking out, I might just have to break out of these chains to deck him._

"So," Fang could tell that Blaze was smiling now, being able to win the argument.

"I'm no teacher, so don't expect a history lesson, k?"

"Pfft. I know enough history to get me by, but just explain to me what a l'Cie is, and Focuses..Focusi? Foci? Foci! That's it!" Blaze exhaled deeply, and Fang could feel a sense of accomplishment coming from him.

"Whatever, just start explaining already!"

Fang began silent, mentally pouring through volumes of memories from her past lives as a l'Cie.

_Where do I even start?_

Moments later she cleared her throat like one would do before a speech, and began.

"If one was to describe what a l'Cie was in one word, it would be: slave. Basically, a l'Cie is a slave to the fal'Cie that branded him."

_The l'Cie marked by a fal'Cie are destined for a greater destiny they said. Bah._

"A l'Cie gains supernatural power and magic, but must bear the burden of a Focus which they must complete for their master.."

Fang paused for a moment, thinking that Blaze should take notes so she wouldn't have to repeat herself again.

"Uh huh. And?" Blaze prompted Fang to continue.

"This brings us to the next subject: Focuses. A Foc-"

"Foci" Blaze interrupted.

_I am going to hurt him when I get down here..._

Fang fought the urge to tell him to shut up and continued speaking, now more than slightly annoyed.

"A Focus, is a task that a fal'Cie gives us. Essentially, we are forced against our will to serve them and complete the Focus. As a l'Cie, if he or she completes their Focus, they live on for eternity, frozen in a crystal stasis."

_Well, not for eternity, _Fang thought. She had already awoken from crystal twice now, and she hoped that she wouldn't be doing it again.

"And if a l'Cie doesn't complete their Focus?" Blaze questioned, urging Fang to continue with the story.

"That's simple, if a l'Cie does not complete their Focus, and it doesn't matter if they outright refuse or don't complete it in time, they become a Cie'th. They're monsters, damned to wander the world aggressive and undying, until they at last can move no longer"

_For Cie'th, there is no salvation. _

"Ouch. Sounds like either way we're done for right?" Blaze chuckled, finding his fate to be some joke.

Fang didn't answer, and she kept silent for a few minutes until Blaze asked another question.

"So, you and Vanille awoke from stasis, right? Did you complete your Focus?"

True to his name, Blaze's questions burned holes into Fang's mind.

"Well...kind of. Vanille and I completed our Focus each time, but it's not like we had much of a choice in the matter."

Fang was getting increasingly annoyed. Blaze was treading on thin ice here, but no matter how much she wanted his questions to stop, she knew what his next question would be before it left his lips.

"So what was your Focus anyway?"

_Right on cue..._

Fang coughed and turned her head down so her wild black hair could cover her eyes.

"I don't want to talk about it." Fang said solemnly.

"Your turn, Blaze. Cough it up."

Blaze mumbled something short of a 'heh' but remained silent.

Fang was willing to give Blaze a few minutes to form the sentences but as the minutes dragged on the drop in conversation reminded Fang of how sleepy she was. She shook herself, the chains bound across her wrists following suit. She couldn't let it claim her now. She needed this.

* * *

"There isn't much, you know. I had only spent maybe a day and a half with her, and all she did was talk about you, once my questions ran dry. "

Blaze finally spoke up. He was talking about Vanille, completing his side of the agreement now that Fang had answered his own questions.

"Yeah? What'd she say about me? Anything good?" Fang replied, curious.

"She didn't talk about you, per se. Vanille told me what she would do _with_ you."

Fang's cheeks grew read.

"She told you about _that?_ That's personal!" Fang yelled, but was only met with confusion.

"What are you talking about?" Blaze questioned.

"You bloody well _know _what I'm talking about, ya pervert!"

_Why would Vanille tell this guy, this, this complete stranger our most intimate moments?_

"Huh? Oh, oh! That's what you were talking about!" Blaze laughed at Fang, and even though she couldn't see it, she could tell he was grinning from ear to ear.

"Haha, but no. She wasn't talking about that. So, if you just calm down for a moment and be nice, maybe I'll tell you what she said."

_You better..._

It was Blaze's turn to clear his throat.

"Be warned, it's a tear jerker, Fang."

"Just tell me already!" Fang retorted.

"Alright, alright! Give me a moment, sheesh." he complained.

A few minutes past, and Fang was fidgeting in her spot, suspended in the air. After what felt like ages, Blaze cleared his throat, _again, _and began speaking.

"Vanille told me about the life she would live with you once your Focus was over. How the two of you would return to Pulse, how you're going to build a house by the river, with your own two hands. She told me that you'd build something so that Vanille and you could raise chocobo's. And how'd include a guest room in your plans so nobody would have to worry about missing you two too badly."

The two were silent for a moment, and Blaze could sense Fang's growing distress.

"Even me, Vanille said." Blaze made a 'pfft' noise and continued.

"The kid knows me for a day and practically views me as a friend..." he stopped short, noticing how Fang held her head low and was quiet.

Blaze stopped for now, and allowed Fang to have her space. It was obviously difficult for the woman to swallow.

_I don't even feel like I want to know how this story ends..._

"Yeah...Vanille's got that type of personality that grows on you...that's why I..." Fang spoke, which initially startled Blaze and herself, but couldn't finish the sentence.

"You love her?" he spoke slowly and cautiously, trying to be as comforting as possible.

"Just continue with what you were saying, Blaze." Fang avoided the question, and Blaze didn't inquire her about it. Now wasn't the best time to push questions onto her, he decided.

"Vanille told me that even though the years would pass, and seasons would fade away, yet the house you two built would continue to stand by the river. You would start building a stable for the chocobo's, and eventually what would begin as one bird, would grow to a dozen, and wouldn't stop there."

Blaze paused again, and tried to come down. His voice was shaky when he heard himself speak, and he could tell that Fang was trying hard to stifle a tear or a groan.

"She said as years began to slip into decades, others would join you two on Pulse, and begin to start their lives anew in search of a simple life. Vanille told me that she would be content with returning to a simple life, and would wake up each morning knowing that you, Fang, would be happy too."

Fang was fighting the urge to break into tears. She began to feel knots in her stomach form.

_I don't want to hear this..._

"Vanille told me that she wouldn't be scared anymore, and that she wouldn't need you to protect her like you used to. Vanille said that she wouldn't be afraid of fal'Cie, or becoming a l'Cie or even Cie'th when she's with you, Fang. She wouldn't worry about the future or what happened in the past, her lies wouldn't trouble her anymore, and that with you in her life, Fang, everything would make sense."

_Stop it..._

Blaze sighed and rattled the chains that Fang assumed were around his wrists also. Fang, on the other hand was almost in her own little world. She was trembling, trembling so hard that the chains rattled with her. She was at a loss for breath, and quietly made that hiccuping sound one would make before crying.

"And eventually, she said that you two would grow old together, as everything does eventually,"

_Stop! _

"But nothing would change between you two. After decades of being together, your hands would still fit, like a perfect match, and that she would still feel safe, asleep in your arms."

_No, no, no, no!_

"But, in the end, she said that things wouldn't happen that way. With the world we live in, and the cruel reality forced upon us, nothing ever goes according to plan. So she made a deal for you, Fang, that she would-"

"Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up!"

Fang screamed, seemingly to no one at first. She was hyperventilating now, and didn't even try to hold back the tears that streamed down her cheeks. What she didn't notice was that she was actually _glowing,_ a bright light radiating from her torso. The intensity of the flash stunned Blaze, but somehow, he knew what was going on.

"Fang! Calm down!" His tone was stern, but still trying to soothe Fang.

The woman in question was thrashing about, the multi-colored glow deepening as she flailed her arms around in a vain attempt to break out of the chains.

"Fang! You've got to calm down! The emotional distress your body is feeling is causing your brand grow! In short, you're killing yourself, Fang!"

Blaze tried to remain calm speaking towards her, but Fang was doing everything _but _listening to the man. The metal chains connecting Fang and the ceiling swung to and fro, and Fang was actually ripping them from the wall. Metal shrieked and twisted, any resistance from the chains was being trampled by Fang's onslaught of sheer strength.

"Fine, Fang! You brought this upon yourself!" Blaze wasn't trying to calm her down anymore. If she wasn't going to listen to him, there was the possibility that she was going to end up killing herself.

Breaking free from the chains was the only way possible for Fang to vent her anger out on how she failed Vanille.

_A whole life conveyed to me in minutes..._

She pulled harder against the chains, the sockets they were connected to on the ceiling bending with each attempt. The hinges were tough though, and wouldn't let up.

_And I can't give that life to her..._

By now, Fang managed to open her eyes, and gasped at what was on her.

Fire.

Fang was literally on fire. Her entire body engulfed in flames. Streaks of orange flowed on her skin, the bandages around her torso, her hair even. The inferno choked the air out of her, replacing it with thick gray smoke.

But, it wasn't burning her. Fang couldn't feel any heat from the fire, or any pain from it. It was more of an act to startle and distract her than an act to harm her. She could breathe again, and actually, she did feel more calm once she realized she wasn't going to burn to death. Her arms wrested back at their normal position, above her head, and she ceased her attempt to escape. As fast as they had appeared, the fire vanished from Fang, leaving no trace behind to tell that they were there in the first place.

As Fang's breathing rate returned to normal, she hung her head back, and looked at where the chains connected themselves to the ceiling.

_Damn...and I almost had gotten them off, too. Bloody bastard._

"Fang?" Blaze asked slowly, hoping that the fire he conjured on her was weak enough to not kill the lady.

"You alive? O-or better yet, are you calm now?" now he was laughing a little, but Fang could tell it was just to hide his own nervousness.

Fang's response was a mumbled "Yeah...thanks for 'calming me down' Blaze."

"I apologize for doing that Fang, but as the experiment who has lasted the longest, it's my responsibility to make sure you don't kill yourself."

"What do ya mean? I was a l'Cie twice before this, so it was more likely that I would have caused my brand to grow. L'Cie can't kill themselves that way, Blaze."

Blaze sighed, sounding annoyed.

"Well, that means I have to explain to you how your brand works. From what the scientists have told me, you're, _we're, _not normal l'Cie. Actually, don't worry about an explanation. I'm sure your little temper tantrum woke up PSICOM."

Fang wasn't in the mood for his teases, especially after she had heard what Vanille was talking about while she was in crystal.

She laughed it off however, which caused Blaze to raise a questioning brow to the woman.

"What's so funny, Fang?"

"It's nothing, Blaze. Just, once I get all the answer's I want from those PSICOM bastards, I'm getting the bloody hell outta here." she replied, and it was Blaze this time to note the cockiness laced within Fang's words.

"Heh. I wouldn't count on it. Once they come in, they're gonna inject you again, shock you, and then put you into training." Blaze said with a laugh. "Most new experiments don't make it past the first five minutes."

"We'll see about that..." Fang said with a yawn. It seemed that with everything happening, that Fang forgot that she was bone-tired.

"It's best you get some sleep. You'll need the energy when you wake up in the morning, err afternoon...or nighttime. Bah, I don't know. Don't worry about specific wake up times either, PSICOM has that handled."

Fang yawned when she was told to sleep, but she shook her head no.

"One more question."

"Yeah, Fang?" Failing to fight off the infectious yawn, Blaze yawned as well. Sleep, was on his mind too.

"Project: Blaze...what does the project stand for?"

Blaze laughed at this, expecting Fang to ask the one question he couldn't really answer.

"The scientists didn't tell me much. Projects are l'Cie, but can be described better as _manufactured_ rather than magically transformed into one. Besides that, there are five other Projects besides me."

"Names?"

There was a silence for a moment or two as Blaze had to run the names through his mind a few times to make sure he could actually remember them this time.

"There's Project: Blaze, Project: Geist, Project: Naga, Project: Myst, Project: Terra, and last but not least, Project: Genesis."

"Aah," Fang trailed on, yawning again. "Sounds interesting."

"Yeah, but now's the time that you should go to sleep. I'm tired too, so no more questions for now."

The two mumbled something short of a 'good night' before returning to the silence Fang had originally awoken up to.

Closing her heavy eyelids, Fang soon drifted off to sleep, miraculously finding a somewhat comfortable position while suspended vertically and bound by chains.

* * *

As she slept, Fang dreamed about what Blaze had said. About the life Vanille had wanted for her and Fang.

_I promise you, Vanille. I will get out of here. I will find you, and one day, I promise you will live the life you wanted. We'll build that house by the river on Pulse, and we'll raise chocobo's._

The last thing Fang could picture before falling deeper into slumber was Vanille, and the bright yellow feathers of the chocobo next to her.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hello there! Here is Chapter 4 of Awake! Honestly, this chapter gave me the most trouble so far. See, my original plan for Chapter 4 was so outrageously long that it neared well over 50 pages, so after much thought put into it, I divided this Chapter into 3 sections. Well, not exactly. My original Chapter 4 is divided amongst the next three chapters, so Chapter 4, 5, and 6 are all part of my original idea for Chapter 4. Sounds confusing, right? XD**

**You've got me at a good time, too! Today's my birthday! *dances around a little* Well, it's not my birthday for another few hours, but I'm saying that I'm one year older now! Like any good Hobbit, when we have birthdays we give presents to the guests! In this case, I'll be giving presents to you, the readers!**

**Your first present, is well, this chapter. ****XD Present numero two is a bit tougher though. A little ways into the chapter the lyrics to a song a present, well, they're slightly modified. If you can tell me the name of the song and band, you'll get: THE UBER COOKIE! **

**Warning: Prizes may vary.**

**Like any good human, I'd like to receive a few gifts! *presses the Greed button* Haha XD Well I'd certainly like see you guys read and review my story. Any questions, observations, comments, answers, or grammatical errors are appreciated. **

**I'd also like for you guys to enjoy this chapter as much as I did typing it up for you! Speaking of this chapter, it's actually a break from the current story, to show what's going on with Pulse and Cocoon outside of Fang and Blaze's holding cell. There's also the action I promised as well, however I wouldn't really call it action, more like a bunch of running around! XD**

**Rated T for language and violence.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the characters I create. **

**Enjoy!**

**Journey **

**Awake**

**Chapter 4: Fog**

* * *

The old saying: "Curiosity killed the cat" never rang truer in Lightning Farron's ears than it did now.

A mysterious creature attacking and almost killing yourself isn't the best way to spend a Sunday morning. But before any of this had even happened to Lightning, the soldier girl had to first survive the unnecessarily long train ride she and her team had to sneak on.

Lightning was on a secret mission. Well, a secret _scouting_ mission. After the fall of Cocoon, she and any other survivors who happened to have military experience were drafted to serve as protectors until human civilization could reach a period of peace and stability. Even though the strawberry blond was in the Guardian Corps when Cocoon wasn't incased in crystal, being the one of the only known l'Cie to actually survive granted her a slew of promotions. But to her, more promotions meant more paperwork. When it came down to it, that's exactly what happened.

But she was chosen to lead a select team military soldiers to serve as personal guardians for important political figures. Namely, Bartholomew Estheim, Hope's father. After he was found among the debris he was thrown into the life of politics due to his previous experience working for the Sanctum, Cocoon's acting government.

Being of such high ranking in the military meant lots of benefits, but Lightning wouldn't let things go to her head like others would. She was above the law, not that there was much of a law yet anyway, but Lightning and her team could do what they want and whenever they wanted. They were the elite, and currently the military's best of the best.

Lightning lead a small group of five, including herself. Though at times she felt more like a babysitter, it was her job to lead and direct her team. Besides Lightning, the other four that made her team consisted of Pawn, Knight, Rook, and Bishop. They were all code names of course, if anyone knew their actually identities, there'd be hell to pay. They were called CH.E.S.S ironically enough. It was an acronym for CHemically Enhanced Super Soldiers. Though Lightning would never allow anyone to call her by the codename she was assigned, the soldier girl was labeled as Queen. If anyone called her by that name, if they hadn't died in the mission, they'd certainly wish they did after she would be through with them.

What could five people do to be called the best of the best? Well, besides being outfitted with the best technology the human survivors could find, the five of them were the best of the best in their own respective fields when they served in the field.

Pawn was the technology expert. The twenty year old's short stature certainly didn't affect his brain. Standing at a proud five feet and three inches tall, he was usually the butt of everyone's jokes. But get him angry, and he'd whip out some fancy gadget and make you cry for your mommy. But he put his skills to the more practical use. He was a hacker; able to tap into the computer systems of the enemies communication devices, radar systems, or a gun's internal computer. The kid could sabotage the entire stock market, and the world was unknowingly thankful that he didn't.

Where Pawn would prefer to work his magic behind the scenes, Knight would prefer to go straight into the enemy's base gun's ablaze. He was reckless, and borderline insane, but he got the job done. Knight was a vehicle prodigy. He could drive anything, from planes to trains, if he got a hold of the steering wheel, it would be best to not even go into your car. But his skills behind the wheel didn't mean he was a bad shot. He worked well with the standard issue APAMR (All-Purpose Anti-Materia Rifle) and when his fingers touched the trigger he was one of the best shots around. When he wasn't driving, or cracking a joke, Knight would be seen adding more parts to his gun, which he personally named Mercy.

Out of the five, Rook was probably the strangest of the group. He was one of those strong silent type of guys. But in combat, the man was anything but quiet. Rook lugged around a massive hammer across his shoulder, which Lightning thought probably weighed twice as much as she. Where Pawn would disable things from afar, and Knight would drive through something or go in with guns, Rook would beat down the enemy with brute strength. The guy was literally a monster. Well okay, not a real monster, but Rook was immensely strong. Contrary to his actions on the field, Rook was actually quite the accomplished chef, and on the long cold nights sleeping on the grassy fields of Gran Pulse, the air would be filled with the mouth watering scent of whatever Rook happened to catch earlier that day.

Bishop was the only other female in the group. She was the groups dedicated healer. She knew her way around a human's body, so to speak. While she was a fantastic healer, she did her homework on the wonderfully deadly range of monsters inhabiting Gran Pulse. She was the one that knew that tugging on a Behemoths tail hard enough would show it that your the dominant one. Bishop knew how to take the venom sacs in a gorgonopsids mouth and make her own brew of deadly poison. Ironically enough, she also knew just the right dance steps to befriend a cactuar, until its friends came by.

Lightning was the last of the five. The leader of the CH.E.S.S. The strawberry blond was twenty-four now, almost twenty-five. She was one of the six l'Cie chosen to become Ragnarok and destroy Orphan, in turn destroying Cocoon and murdering millions of human lives. All to summon back the Maker, the being of unfathomable power that created humans and fal'Cie. Ultimately it was Fang and Vanille who made the sacrifice to become Ragnarok, but instead of destroying Cocoon, they crystallized it before it could crash into Gran Pulse. After coming back from the brink of being a crystal, the soldier girl was determined to live her life dutifully. She wanted to make sure that before she died, that the world changed for the better out of what Lightning did. Lightning wanted to make time for her sister, Serah, whom she purposely neglected in order to keep her safe. After all she had done to save the world, after all the people who died for some mad fal'Cie's prophecy, she wanted to ensure that humans would survive on Gran Pulse. It was the least she could do for Fang and Vanille.

* * *

"Don't wanna be a Pulsian idiot!" a voice sang, shocking Lightning from her sleep.

As a soldier she wasn't supposed to sleep on duty, but the train ride was so boring, that she felt like she deserved a few minutes to doze off.

"Don't wanna nation under the new mania!"

There it was again. The same voice singing some song.

Lightning could hear the scuffling of two people; one person had apparently hit the other so he'd stop singing.

"Shut yer yapping, Knight. Boss lady's wakin' up."

Lightning opened her eyes before shutting them fast after the intense bright light hit her.

_Okay...let's try that again. Slowly._

Lightning opened her eyes a second time and blinked. The first thing she noticed was Knight rubbing his arm where Bishop had punched him.

Lightning and her team were in a train cart. They managed to sneak aboard while the train was refueling and hid in the caboose of the train, which was just a large storage room for cargo. The train cart was cluttered with crates of varying sizes and colors. Everything from 'Fragile' to 'Moogleworks' stamped on each wooden box. The cart was large enough to comfortably fit the five of them, even with all these crates. Crates covered the door leading deeper into the trains interior, so the only way out was through the exit door to the outside.

The cart was dusty and dimly lit though, the lights flickering with each shake and bump the train made. Lightning could tolerate it though, there was enough natural light coming through the one window to keep everything illuminated.

Looking outside the small window, the Yaschas Massif was in plain sight. The train was actually traveling through the deep fault valleys that dotted the landscape. The train was on route to Paddra, a city rebuilt by the human survivors.

After the fall of Cocoon, she and the rest of the survivors were left with Gran Pulse, to survive and rebuild what was left on the deserted planet. The initial group of those who accompanied the four ex-l'Cie only numbered in a few dozen, but more people were arriving each day. They all started in Oerba, the four l'Cie had mentioned it so it could be rebuilt, an homage to their crystallized friends. Over the three years on Pulse, humans spread from Oerba to other parts of the planet. Towns and cities were appearing right out of thin air at the rate the humans were building them.

Paddra, Haerri, and Oerba were only partially destroyed when the six l'Cie first arrived on Pulse. Now coming back after the fall of Cocoon, the four remaining ex-l'Cie didn't find much difference. But after the three years, human's were thriving, _flourishing. _Everything would be fine if one would stay out of the more dangerous and untamed parts of the wilderness. Without the powers of a l'Cie, and a small military, expansion had to be slow yet strategic, and somewhere out of range of the giant oretoises.

Eventually, places like New Bodhum and New Nautilus were built. Their success put the last nail in the coffin that proved humans were expanding at an astonishingly fast rate.

After the Planetfall, which was what the survivors were calling the fall of Cocoon these days, the four ex-l'Cie had almost went their separate ways. Sazh and his son Dajh moved to New Nautilus, to see the chocobo's.

Snow stayed true to his word, and married Serah. The two remain in Oerba with Lightning, who isn't so hard pressed to punch Snow anymore now that he could keep his promise to her. He could make Serah happy, which was all that Lightning wanted. Serah was her world after all.

Hope is staying in Oerba with his father, but the now 18 year old boy is so caught up with his own duties, that Lightning never really see's the kid anymore. She doesn't see much of anyone really, a mission could go well into a few weeks. With Bartholomew acting as Oerba's leader, Hope was busy trying to make his own living. Bartholomew was elected to lead the humans into a brighter future, and Hope wanted to be apart of that.

* * *

Lightning unsheathed her Blazefire Saber from its holster behind her, the metal glinting handsomely in the light as it reflected off the gunblade. This mission was different than her usual ones.

Typically, CH.E.S.S would be called out to kill some of Pulse's more dangerous predators like Behemoths or large packs of giant Flan. Other times she would be called out to quell rebellions; crime still existed in her world, and there was always people who didn't want to live by the laws being set up by Bartholomew.

But things were different this time around. Oerba had lost contact with Paddra, so Lightning and her team were sent out to investigate.

Oerba and Paddra had a few problems before, usually simple trade disagreements. Each city's location provided different resources, and merchants from both cities were too stubborn to agree on a fair price. But Oerba had lost complete communication with Paddra. Believing this was a sign of an embargo or war, Lightning was dispatched to 'persuade' Paddra to reopen its doors.

It had been an entire week without word from Paddra, and it seemed that the neighboring cities lost communications with the metropolis as well.

_Well it's not like the place just vanished off the face of Pulse._

Lightning's mission was to simply investigate and report back on what she discovered of Paddra. It didn't seem to be a difficult task, just striding in and talking to a few people. If things got ugly, which they usually would, she might have to beat down a few of the merchants to get her point across.

Regardless, she didn't know why she was told to sneak onto a steam train, on route to Paddra. Looking out the tiny window of the cart, the landscape lazily drifted on by as the train moved along its tracks. Out of the corner of her eye, Lightning caught sight of a train on the neighboring tracks.

The design was similar to the train she herself was on, a drab makeshift machine of ugly brown metal scrapped together out of bits and pieces of wreckage that was laying around Pulse. The train was motionless on the rails, and Lightning couldn't tell if any of the lights were functioning. As the train she was on came closer, the soldier girl couldn't quite tell if the other train was even occupied.

The train looked abandoned, but the more the thought that was more disturbing was that the train was heading out of Paddra. It seems that this was something that should be checked out, and so Lightning decided she'd start her mission by investigating the wrecked, abandoned train.

She leapt to feet abruptly, causing her subordinates to scramble to their feet as well.

"What's the deal, boss lady? Trouble?"

Knight had a devilish grin across his face. Lightning couldn't see it, but she knew that the soulless black eyes that hid behind the equally as dark shades were twinkling.

"We're leaving. Pack up what you have and get ready to go. We're going to check out that train next to us."

Lightning strode over to the end of the cart, where the metal door slid open to reveal the landscape rolling by. Finding the metal bars to the ladder attached to the train, she climbed her way to the top, where the other four shortly followed.

Besides Lightning, the other four were all carrying bags strapped over shoulders. Supplies, or whatever personal belongings they wanted to carry along with them, she surmised. Pawn had his Vega 42s's holstered to the sides of his legs, much like Sazh would. Knight kept his rifle holstered on his back, while Rook didn't bring any firearm at all, his hammer would be more than enough for him in a fight. Bishop had a Vega 42s as well, but it was rarely used. The woman preferred to use the manadrives given to her after all.

The group of five stood together on the roof of the moving train, their new objective approaching quickly. As the neighboring train grew closer and closer, Lightning walked to the edge, preparing to jump over when the time was right. As the train became only a few feet away, Lightning and the others leaped across, briefly feeling vertigo as missing the train would only result in a long descent into the ravine until death.

Lightning landed first, followed by Rook, Bishop, and Knight.

"H-help! Guys, I could use a hand here!"

Unfortunately, Pawn wasn't as lucky. The man had managed to jump over, but only grab onto the bars than land fully onto the train. Looking over the edge, the others could see his feet flailing around, trying to find some footing so Pawn could climb his way up.

It took a few minutes more of Pawn's cry for help to stop Knight and Bishops' laughter.

Lightning scolded the the two and turned away, striding down the roof of the motionless train.

"Hey! You can't just leave me here!"

Pawn yelled out again, reaching out with an outstretched hand so someone could help him up.

"Go get him," Lightning said. "we don't have all day."

Knight went over to Pawn and grabbed his hand, and began to pull and tug, but met resistance. He tried again, but just couldn't seem to drag the smaller man onto the train.

"You seem heavier than usual, kid." Knight joked, failing to pull him up for a third time.

Pawn yelped suddenly and began to shake.

"Help me, quick! I think my foots stuck!" he cried out again, but still Knight couldn't pull him up.

It only seemed to make things worse when Bishop tried to help. But still, Pawn couldn't be pulled onto the train.

Bishop telling Pawn to 'not look down' didn't seem to help either.

His struggles grew more constant as Pawn desperately tried to get onto the train. His foot was stuck on something, something strong. It seemed like whenever he pulled, the thing holding his leg wouldn't budge, but grip his leg even harder. Slowly, Pawn felt his leg being pulled on. Whatever was on his leg, it was dragging him into the train.

"S-something's got my leg! It's pull-"

Pawn finished the incomplete sentence with a scream as he was violently dragged into the train. The only sound that could be heard was the shatter of glass, muffled groans, and what sounded like an animal fighting against its captor.

Knight looked towards Bishop and Rook, but couldn't find Lightning anywhere either. Was she gone also?

The three were silent for a moment before Bishop finally snapped back to reality.

"Come on! We gotta get Pawn!" she said, running past Rook and the stunned Knight and sliding down the metal ladder. It seemed Lightning already had her idea and met her at the sliding door.

As the door opened the pair stormed into the cart, while Rook and Knight followed shortly after.

They charged in, weapons at the ready, but Pawn was nowhere to be found.

* * *

The stench hit them first.

A crude mix of death and decay. The scent alone could cause one to get dizzy and faint. It made Lightning's legs weak and wobbly, and she had to steady herself with a hand against the wall to make sure she wouldn't pass out.

Pawn was gone it seemed. In the small window of two or three seconds that he was out of sight, it seemed that a violent struggle occurred. There was blood on the floor. The seats in the car were damaged and overturned. Windows were shattered, metal support beams were bending in places they shouldn't be.

_What could have done this?_

Lightning thought to herself, keeping her gunblade ready at the slightest sign of an ambush.

_Whatever is with us on the train...It's not human._

Lightning cautiously went to the center of the cart, examining the wrecked inside of the train for herself. This cart was in ruins. The soldier girl could hardly make out the fact that this cart used to be able to carry passengers to whatever destination this train was headed to when it left Paddra.

"Split up. Bishop and Knight, head down that way,"

Lightning pointed her gunblade in the direction of the train's caboose.

"Rook, you're with me. We'll scope out the front of the train."

The three nodded, Bishop and Knight walking together towards the sliding door opposite of Lightning. The words: 'Don't worry, Knight. I'm sure we'll find something to eat here if we can't find Pawn' could be heard faintly from Bishop before the sliding door closed behind them.

Lightning took point with Rook following from behind.

Each cart was served the same result as the cart they first arrived in. The carts were wrecked. It looked like a tornado had hit the train. But the bad state of disrepair the train was in wasn't as shocking to Lightning. It seemed whatever grabbed Pawn and ran off with him was waiting here. Maybe it was looking for something? Or someone?

Blood splattered the seats, the windows, the walls. But with all the blood being discovered, Lightning couldn't find a single trace of a human body. Not even animal bodies were present.

_This thing sure did a good job cleaning up._

Lightning felt like she was under constant watch by something unknown. Something faraway. Beads of sweat began to form on Lightning's brow. Her fingers began to tremble and her legs began to shake. It felt like with each cart she passed through, the familiar stench of death invaded her nose and clouded her senses. It felt like she couldn't breath, and couldn't see. A thick fog invaded her thoughts, but it didn't stop there. The path in front of her seemed to be blocked off by thick walls of fog. She couldn't see in front of her. Behind her, Rook was acting similarly. The normally strong and silent man was practically jumping out of his skin when the wind rustled a few pieces of metal against each other.

She stopped moving, and Rook bumped into her, completely unaware of his leader's actions. Lightning could practically feel Rook's heartbeat. She gulped and tightened her grip on her gunblade. With a flick of her wrist, she switched it into its blade form.

_Get it together, Lightning. You've never been scared before. So why now?_

Lightning felt scared. Scared, and sick to her stomach.

As if her thoughts were being read, Lightning received an answer.

"_The whispers of things unseen._

_A raging ocean where Light cannot escape._

_Vast and endless, cold and deep._

_Where we find ourselves adrift."_

What was going on? Lightning couldn't tell if someone was actually speaking but it was her turn to nearly leap out of her skin when she heard a voice. The voice was feminine, but otherworldly. The voice spoke slow, trying to get some point across.

Lightning gripped the handle of her blade tighter, her azure orbs scanning the fog-filled cart for an answer.

She received only laughter from the mysterious voice.

"_To follow instinct is to kill yourself, and all that you love._

_They stick to the back of your mind."_

Lightning loosened her hold on the blade. In doing so, it seemed like the fog had began to thin. Her vision was sharper now, but she was met with more laughter from the voice.

"_Change your thoughts, and you change your world._

_Unleash the hero._

_It is never too late to be what you might have been."_

The fog was now completely dissipated. It seemed everything was playing out like a dream. Rook was still scanning the room. Did he see the fog? Did he hear the voice?

Lightning felt a soft touch of a hand on her cheek and gasped. Her heart pounded violently against the confines of her body. Her eyes closed tightly, and she felt the soft feel of lips pressed onto her own.

She could see the outline of a woman. She was young, and beautiful. Her body seemed to be a collected mass of living fog though. The fog that was previously filling the room. From the woman, bright green eyes twinkled at Lightning. The lithe form of this woman's body, the bright green eyes, the young and delicate features appeared familiar to Lightning. She couldn't put her finger on it, but she knew she had seen this woman before.

She felt the foggy weightless hand caress her cheek again. The woman smiled at Lightning, who stood motionless, her hand holding onto the handle of her blade tightly.

The woman leaned in, and Lightning could feel some form on hers. Forehead leaned against forehead and the woman's lips inched close to Lightning's ear.

"_When Lightning strikes, the world will tremble._

_When the thunder follows, none will stand before you."_

Lightning could hear the fog-woman whisper quietly into her ear before moving away. She smiled briefly, flashing white teeth, and her form began to shake. The fog slowly departed from the woman's form, until she was gone all together.

What was going?

Lightning reached up to feel the spot where the fog-woman had touched, it felt slightly colder than the rest of her body.

Suddenly her communicator began to crack and fizzle as muffled voices came through the speaker. Lightning grabbed the small cell phone on her waist and placed it to her ear.

"-ightning? Come in? I repeat, we found Pawn. Do you copy?"

The voice of Bishop came through the speaker, and Lightning could hear the groans of Pawn coming through, proving what Bishop said was true.

"Yeah. I'm here. What's wrong?" Lightning spoke through the cell phone, her eyes still scanning this mysterious cart.

"Pawn's in pretty bad shape, boss lady. He's all bloody, but we'll get him patched up soon enough."

Lightning could hear the howls of pain from Pawn, imagining Knight or Bishop fumbling around with the first-aid kit or casting a Cure spell through a manadrive.

"And what about the thing that dragged Pawn here?"

"Nothing, boss lady. A lot of blood, but nothing here to find that caused it."

Lightning nodded and walked into the center of the room. She finished her conversation with Bishop, and relayed what she was told to Rook. The man stood opposite Lighting, giving her a 'what do we do now?' look.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a figure crash through the side of the train window. A blur of gray metal swung its way into the center of the train cart, inches from Lightning's face. Four, long, thin cords came out of a gauntlet on its right arm. Probably what allowed it to swing in.

Time seemed to slow down for a second. Lightning could see and hear each individual shard of glass shatter as they descended towards the floor. The momentum from the gray being caused strands of pink hair to slowly blow to the side. Lightning could literally feel her heart beat slowing down as time seemed to slow to a trickle.

The gray, metal monster was still swinging in, and faces locked for a brief moment before it raised its left hand, shooting out two small orbs attached to a single cord from its gauntlet. It spun elegantly slow along its path. Lightning's body reacted slowly, and as time slowed down so did her movement. The weapon cut into her exposed shoulder, but kept moving, undeterred.

Lightning on the other hand now rolled under the metal monster, turning back to see Rook's hands caught and tied up by the cord. A second cord shot out, the two balls swinging around Rook's feet, trapping them as well. The cords cut in deep, slicing the flesh through the armor the man was wearing.

Rook landed onto the ground with a thud. Lightning grabbed her gunblade and as time began to revert to its normal flow, the metal monster connected to the wall of the cart. It remained there, crawling on the ceiling, looking down at the trapped man and the shocked strawberry blond woman.

The thing dropped, crawled out a broken window, narrowly missing a swipe from Lightning's blade. She looked towards Rook, who simply nodded that she should find the creature. He would be fine for now, Knight and Bishop would arrive soon.

* * *

Lightning was actually having a hard time fighting this thing. Whatever it was. It seemed to be in a suit of armor. Similar to typical PSICOM gear. Gray armor with lines of white around its arms, legs and ribs. Clear tubes connected from its back to the helmet. The helmet showed no eye sockets, simply three horizontal lines that glowed a distinct green.

It was smaller than Lightning, but it was quick. It could dodge her attacks with ease, and managed to shake off any connecting blows.

Lightning on the other hand was having difficulty. The metal monster attacked relentlessly. The two were both on the roof of the abandoned train, and had enough room to attack openly.

The monster would jump around, shooting the cords from its gauntlets. Any that she dodged would pierce the metal of the train, and the beast would pull the metal right out off the train. It seemed that it could shoot four long cords from its right gauntlet, still attached to the gauntlet, and use that to jump around. While the left gauntlet would shoot a cord connected to two weighted balls. The cord was razor sharp, and proved to be a deadly projectile. But it also seemed to serve the purpose of restraining ligaments, like how it trapped Rook's hands and feet.

Lightning charged the metal monster, loading a Fire manadrive into her ammo clip. Switching to gun mode, Lightning pulled the trigger. The fiery bullets pierced the armor protecting the monster, and even managed to tear one of the tubings off.

The monsters fell to the ground, but couldn't move. Lightning had the sword of her gunblade at what looked like the monsters neck. She intended to end it here, to kill the beast right now, but it was fast. The monster kicked her shin and jumped to its feet.

It seemed angry now. Steam escaped through vents in the armor and it sounded like the monster was hissing at her.

Lightning leaped into the air and swung her blade at the creature, hitting it right in the arm. Her blade was colored crimson as she continued the assault.

_Disconnect the tubing._

Lightning swung her blade in an arc, disconnecting the other two tubes. Steam rapidly escaped from its confines. The beast seemed slower now, its movements were sluggish. It couldn't dodge her attacks as well.

Despite its disadvantages, the fight wasn't over. The metal monster charged Lightning and tackled her, forcing its way on top of her, its right hand was pointed at her face. If it shot the cords now, she'd most likely be done for.

"Take this!"

Rook yelled, which not only surprised Lightning and the metal monster, but Knight, Bishop, and Pawn who were following.

The large man swung his hammer at the monster, a loud booming sound once the two collided. The blow crushed the creature, and sent it rolling off the side of the train.

It descended into the deep abyss below the train, and faded from view.

"Well, well, well. Looks like the boss lady seemed to have been needing some rescuing, eh?"

Knight laughed and flashed that devilish grin. Rook helped Lightning up to her feet.

Rubbing her forehead, Lightning felt her head throb and her heart beat violently at the same time. She ignored Knight's teasing and strode past the group, who looked own with confusion.

"Bishop, make sure Pawn is in stable condition to fight. I have a feeling we'll be seeing more of those things around here. Pawn, get this train operational."

Lightning issued her commands, a plan was forming in her mind.

"And me, boss lady?" Knight asked.

"Get behind the wheel, Knight. We're heading to Paddra."

* * *

"_Fang? Fang! I see you, Fang!" the voice of Vanille called out to the Pulsian woman._

_Well, that's great, but I can't see you Vanille. Fang thought to herself. She was in some wide chamber. Fog filled the room and she couldn't see anything. She assumed this was simply a dream. Fang had gotten strange dreams before, but this one had peaked her curiosity. _

_She walked through the indescribable chamber, searching for Vanille. The girl would call out to Fang every few moments, telling Fang that she saw her. But Fang could never seem to find Vanille. _

_She felt something in her pocket. Reaching to pull out whatever it was, she discovered it was a compass. It might've been helpful, if the hands on the compass weren't spinning radically._

"_Great. Broken." Fang spoke to herself._

_As Fang continued walking through the fog filled chamber, she stopped at a door. _

_Perfectly upright, closed, yet bound by no hinges. It seemed like any ordinary door. A rectangle of brown wood and a small brass doorknob. However, carved onto the door were the words: _

"_Fang's Inner Emotions"_

"_Well, I might as well go through it, yeah? If I'm dreaming, might as well let it take me where I need to go." Fang spoke aloud to herself. _

_Opening and stepping through the door, it seemed that the door itself served no actual purpose. Surrounded by no walls, the door simply stood there. To Fang, it seemed that it would have made no difference if she simply went around the door. _

"_I see you, Fang." Vanille said, repeating herself for what seemed like the umpteenth time. _

"_Yeah? Well I don't see you, Vanille? Where are ya?" Fang spoke loudly now, her eyes looking around the fog filled room. She heard a laugh from Vanille echo across the room._

"_Just keep walking! We'll see each other soon enough!"_

_Suddenly, Fang found herself staring at a stone slab. It was the only thing the fog wasn't covering. _

"_Read it, Fang." she could hear the laughter in Vanille's voice. _

"_Why I love Vanille.?" Fang read the title aloud, her tone confused._

_The stone slab was fairly decent in size. Taller and wider than Fang, it appeared to be some sort of obelisk. The text etched onto the obsidian stone glowed a faint white; written in Pulsian, Fang spoke aloud._

"_Your eyes, which first held me captivated where I stood."_

_Fang began, prompted to continue by Vanille's laughter._

"_Your smile, to dazzle the sun and warm every corner of my soul."_

"_Your voice, like a sparkling mountain stream which flows into my heart." _

_Fang was joined by Vanille now, saying the words the same time Fang spoke them._

"_Your walk, and the way your gracefulness takes my breath away."_

_Fang stopped, and Vanille spoke the next part. _

"_Your hair, about which I dreamed it would be cascading into my face as you leaned over me." _

_Fang rejoined with Vanille now. _

"_Your hands, whose caress I crave to hold my face in their tenderness"_

"_Your arms, I long to have around my neck as you pull me close to your warmth"_

_Vanille stopped speaking, leaving Fang to say the last line._

"_Most of all, everything you are changed the way I feel about my life."_

_As Fang finished the text on the stone slab, it faded from sight, revealing a large crevasse dividing Fang from Vanille who sat on a tree stump across the side. _

_She looked beautiful, even from so far away._

_Fang had no way to reach Vanille, the deep, dark crevasse seeming to grow wider every time she dared look down into the abyss._

_Yet, despite how far the two were apart, Fang could hear Vanille's voice crystal clear. Her voice pierced the mind numbing fog that surrounded her. In a way, it was Fang's light at the end of the tunnel._

"_You really love me, do you Fang?" Vanille asked, her smile melting Fang's heart._

_Well, it's now or never, Fang, she thought to herself. _

_Fang sighed heavily and clenched her fists till the knuckles turned white; it was hard to bring the words past her lips._

"_Yeah, Vanille. I love you."_

_It felt relieving to finally say those three simple words. Fang would say more, how she couldn't live without Vanille. How no matter where she went, Fang would be by her side. How no matter what happened, Fang would be there to protect her, and how Vanille would be all that Fang ever wanted, but more than what she deserved. _

_Fang would say it over and over again, but Vanille stopped her, with words of her own._

"_You don't know how long I've waited to hear you say that Fang,"_

_She paused, and the few seconds she didn't speak felt like an eternity to Fang._

"_But I don't love you."_


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Here we go! Chapter 5 is up and running! This chapter brings us back to Fang and Blaze, while also introducing us to a few new characters. Not to get anyone's hopes up, but you won't be knowing what Blaze really looks like for awhile...at least another chapter or so...**

**Reviews are appreciated, as well as any criticism. I'm constantly striving to do better, so I'd love to hear some ways that I could improve. Just not grammar, I've got that being worked on. Simply pm me if you have any questions, comments, etc also.**

**Disclaimer: Yeah, I own nothing but the characters I create.**

**Enjoy!**

**Journey**

**Awake**

**Chapter Five: Intertwining Fates**

**

* * *

**

"_Rebooting memory cycle..."_

_Pain._

_Falling. _

_Ravine._

"_Determining current location..."_

_Yaschas Massif._

"_Analyzing current status..."_

_Warning: Critical Damage._

_Healing process initiated..._

_Weapon systems: _

_ Right Gauntlet: Functional_

_ Left Gauntlet: Damaged_

"_Systems check..."_

_Vital statistics. Weapon systems. Exoskeleton. Locomotion. Acceleration Level. Communications._

_Speech Functionality. Awareness Barrier. Power Cells. Visual Functionality. HUD Functionality..._

"_Healing Process: Complete..."_

"_Analyzing current status: Complete."_

_Report: Functioning. _

"_Weapon Systems: Online."_

_Right Gauntlet: Functioning_

_Left Gauntlet: Repaired_

"_Systems Check: Complete."_

_Power Level: 100% Functionality: 100% Sensory: 100%_

_Mobility: 100% Awareness: 100% Memory Cycle: _**Corrupted**

"_Analyzing Memory Cycle..."_

_Pulse. Cocoon. Etro. Fal'Cie. L'Cie. Cie'th. Oerba. Crystallization._

"_Analyzing Memory Cycle..."_

_Serah Farron. Lightning Farron. Snow Villiers. Sazh Katzroy. Dajh Katzroy. Hope Estheim. _

_Oerba Yun Fang. Oerba Dia Vanille. _

_Pulse Vestige. Lake Bresha. Nautilus. Chocobo's. Jihl Nabaat. PSICOM. Palamecia. Barthandelus._

_Fifth Ark. Hecatoncheir. Eden. Orphan. Anima. Ragnarok. _

"_Memory Cycle: _**Corrupted**_"_

"_Repairing Memory Cycle..."_

"_Failed."_

_Error. Error. Error. Error. Error. Error. Error. Error. Error. Error. Error. Error. Error. Error. Error._

"**Critical Error."**

"_Removing Memory Cycle: Initiating Memory _**Purge**_."_

_Serah Farron: Deleted. Snow Villiers: Deleted._

_Lightning Farron: Deleted. Sazh Katzroy: Deleted._

_Dajh Katzroy: Deleted. Hope Estheim: Deleted._

"**Purging **_Cocoon memories..."_

_Anima: Deleted. Barthandelus: Deleted._

_Orphan: Deleted. Ragnarok: Deleted._

_Focus: Deleted. _

"**Purging** _Personal Memory files..."_

"**Purging** _Personal Memory files: _**Critical Error**_."_

_Overriding Defense Command: X2516-B#45_

"**Purging** _Personal Memory files..."_

_Oerba Yun Fang: Deleted._

_Oerba Dia Vanille: Deleted. _

"_Memory Cycle: _**Purged**_."_

"_Installing new Memory Cycle..."_

"_Complete."_

"_Current Status: 100% Functional."_

"_Initiating Awake Sequence..."_

Project: Myst reactivated, an eerier green glow emanating from her suit. She stood up; surrounded by darkness and the rock walls of one of the Yaschas Massif's many ravines.

Pointing one metal-plated hand above her, Project: Myst shot four thin cords from a gauntlet, impaling themselves on the face of the rock wall dozens of feet above her.

"_Researching new Enemy Profile..."_

_'Lightning' Claire Farron: Acquired._

_Codenamed: Queen._

_Alan Noel: Acquired._

_Codenamed: Pawn._

_Grant Mikaels: Acquired._

_Codenamed: Knight._

_Rhode Norman: Acquired._

_Codenamed: Rook._

_Nila Palos: Acquired._

_Codenamed: Bishop._

Slowly, Project: Myst began the process of climbing her way out of the abyss.

* * *

In the entire year that he was staying in the holding cell, Blaze has never before felt so agitated than he felt now.

It was Fang. _Twice_ now had Blaze have to light her on fire to calm her down when she finally went to sleep. It wasn't painful, no, with the suit on he couldn't harm anyone without causing his own life to drain. Similar to Blaze, Fang and four others were Projects. Projects are special l'Cie; the scientists refer to them as l'Cie version 2's. An upgraded form compared to how l'Cie were prior to the new technology. Projects were powerful, unstoppable war machines forged with a single purpose in mind: destruction. Well, that was what Blaze was told, and things seemed to be changing awfully quickly as the year went by.

But Fang, how annoying she was! How could it be possible that someone in her sleep could prove to be more of a nuisance than when she is awake? L'Cie brands grow over time, however their growth can be manipulated when the body and mind go under extreme physical or emotional stress. Blaze assumed that Fang was dreaming, a nightmare probably, which forced her body to go under stress. Besides Myst, Blaze was the only known Project who was alive in the facility. The other three Projects, Geist, Terra, and Genesis were somewhere else. So as the veteran specimen, it was Blaze's responsibility to keep any promising test subjects alive and to deter them from causing any unnecessary growth to their brand.

Lighting someone on fire had worked before, while painless, due to Blaze's suit, it would cause more of a startle effect. The method was proven, as the person would immediately shift their minds off whatever was giving them stress and focus on the fire engulfing them. Once they calmed down, Blaze would cease the spell.

Blaze was proud of himself. Over the past year, his power has grown tenfold since waking up in the facility. He could now use his powers without moving any body parts, simply willing the fire into existence was all it took to ignite something on fire. Great power comes with a great risk, however. Projects are just that, projects. They're still flawed; prototypes in a testing stage. Blessed, or in his case _cursed, _with great power left Projects unstable. Blaze did not know how the other Projects were affected, but by what he overhead, he seemed to have gotten the worst of it.

Flawed since birth.

_Teratogenesis, the development of defects in the embryo, that's what the scientists called it._

Ever since conception, Blaze was flawed. He was told while others were born lucky, he was lucky to be born. Without aid from PSICOM, he wouldn't have even survived to see his tenth birthday. His body was decrepit, weak, and slowly deteriorating. Becoming a Project left him prone to every illness. His left arm had gone limp and unresponsive a few days ago, and his left eye seemed to have gone black as well.

Everyday it was the same. Drugs and needles, around the clock. Just to keep his body in a stable condition, Blaze was subjected to three injections a day, followed by three electrocutions. The injections were to keep his body functioning, while the electrocutions shut off his brain so the chemicals could work unhindered. It kept him alive, barely. His body was at war with himself, quite literally. While the injections worked to keep him alive, the body soon began to reject it. While the electrocutions would shut his brain off, it caused his brain to reject the body, due to some brain-detachment theory he didn't care enough about to listen to. In short, his brain rejected his body, and his body rejected his brain. His own body is killing itself, while the machines work to keep him alive.

Why? The question would commonly pop up in his head. Why keep a dying man alive?

The answer was simple: luck.

Blaze was lucky, unnaturally lucky. The other Project to survive and all others that had potential to survive were all l'Cie before. Their bodies had undergone the stress before, so they were more likely to survive the constant injections and instability. Blaze was different, he was just a normal guy. Somehow, by some sheer stroke of luck, he managed to endure the experimentation and live.

PSICOM took care of any bodily problems when it came to Blaze; he would do his job, while PSICOM fixed him up. Blaze was special, he was built for a purpose. A purpose he still didn't know much about.

Blaze was the unlucky recipient of not one l'Cie brand, but _three. _Which caused even more bodily dysfunctions. An ornate, spiked wheel with large black dots in a clock formation was on his torso. A red eye was already apparent at 12 o' clock and 11 o' clock. A vine wrapped around his right arm, the origin at his palm. The leaves sprouting out on the sides of the vine were to represent the eyes. Finally, over his left eye, was the third brand. A simple circle, with lines extended on the edges of his eyes arcing around his face.

He was a living battery, the scientists called him. Packed with so much power, that Blaze would one day explode in a ball of fire when his body couldn't handle the strain anymore. However, so much power left his body unstable. Blaze couldn't control his power when the suit was off. The suit was a power limiter, without it, he would set everything ablaze without having the intention of doing so.

One time, early in the year, Blaze was taken outside. They wanted to observe how he would react to an open environment without the suit. He remembered there was a forest. A wide range of trees towering above him. Wildflowers around his feet of every color imaginable. It was a pleasant, sunny afternoon. Clouds lazily drifted on by over head. The whole area was calm and relaxing. A tranquil place to run around and explore.

He lasted exactly 6 minutes and 22 seconds before everything was in flames.

Without the suit, Blaze's body would heat up the air around him, raising temperatures to scorching degrees. Each step would cause the grass and moss to ignite. Touching a tree would burn it, leaving it a blackened dead mess. It wasn't intentional, Blaze simply couldn't control himself.

He remembered the flower he picked up while he was outside. It was a lucky one, it managed to survive the onslaught of fire unlike its other kin. Blaze held the flower tenderly in his hand, the last remaining sign that there was something living there. It was burnt to a crisp, like the others, seconds later.

Later they provided Blaze with animals, to test his reactions with them. There was a dog that he played with. It was furry and brown, and was actually quite nice to Blaze. The other animals huddled away, seemingly afraid. He couldn't remember the name now, but Blaze would play with that dog all the time. Everything was going well, in fact. Until he put his hand on the dog to pet it. Blaze remembered the yelp it cried out when its skin was burned, how it jumped away from him and bit his hand.

Blaze came to the conclusion that he deserved the be locked up.

_Everything I touch lights on fire..._

He wasn't allowed outside again after that.

After that, came the suit. Thick black armor plates covered his arms and legs, feet, hands, torso, everything. He was covered from head to toe in a metal suit. Blaze never got a chance to see what he looked like after that.

He looked like a PSICOM soldier, metal gloves and boots, no flesh at all showing. Three parallel horizontal lines that glowed red acted as eye sockets. A respirator was fitted over his mouth, because soon enough Blaze would ignite his own breaths on fire. It scorched his lungs, leaving them inoperable.

A single tube, ran from the back of his spine to the back of his head.

After that, he resumed his life in chains.

_After a year in a PSICOM facility, you wouldn't know what freedom was if it bitch slapped you across the face. _

He was slowly dying, but there were other ways besides machinery and drugs that could keep him alive. As a Project, your vast amount of power can flow into your body, and keep it functional. Blaze could live his life without a respirator needed, and without constant injects and electrocutions. Of course, there's a risk to that as well.

_Fifteen years to live..._

When Blaze first woke up, a year ago in the holding cell, he was branded thrice, and was given 15 years to live. This, of course, is only if he wasn't to use his powers at all and just let his brands grow naturally. Each time he used his powers, time would be shaven off that initial number. Over the one year course, he used his powers enough to lose four years.

But he was a weapon of war, forged to be the ultimate. The greatest combination of artificial machine, fal'Cie magic, and humanity to ever live.

The fact that he was called a human was enough to send him laughing.

Blaze was no human. No, he was something _more. _He was given the godly powers and we was damn well going to use them.

The concept of God, was another thing to cause him to laugh.

_What has God ever done for me? Why has he allowed me to live this way? As a monster? I kill everything I touch. He must not be doing something right. If this God cannot do his job correctly, than I will have to myself! Fire can give life just as easily as it can take it! Using the powers at my disposal I will become a god! I will ensure that no one will go through the horrors of being a test subject, of being a plaything for the higher powers! I have all the power in the world!_

Blaze laughed to himself, entertaining the thought for a little while longer.

_It's time I get out of here..._

But where would we go? With no memory of his past life, Blaze knew nothing outside of the holding cell anymore. It wouldn't matter. He'd go wherever he desired, and destroy everything in his path till he'd achieve his goals.

But what were they? He did not know. Having one years worth of memories in a prison cell didn't give him much to aspire for. But he wanted to know who he was, who he is now, and how the hell he got himself into this mess. Screw the remaining years he had left, he didn't care. The concept of life bored him anyway.

Feeling alive was a bit too monotonous at the moment. The constant thumping inside him, whatever it was, annoyed him deeply! What was it that thumped every few seconds?

"_Just do it, Edgar...you know you want too..." _a voice echoed in the confines of his mind.

Who was Edgar?

_Can it, Lucy, I'm not going to break out of these chains until I get some answers..._

"_Oh come on, you know you want to burn this whole place to the ground. Kill every last soul. Grind every bone to dust. Why don't you? I could lend you some assistance..." _

Lucy responded, it's voice slow and seductive, yet gave no hint as to what sex the voice actually was. It was oh so tempting...

_I said shut it, snake-tongue. Now quiet down._

Blaze responded not so kindly in turn. Lucy was an imaginary friend of sorts. Spending a year hanging by chains watching new specimens come in, die, then leave gets a little lonely. Being forced to stare at Fang's back was a nice deterrent, but it was nothing good enough to keep his attention. Physical desires had no affect on him.

The only reason why he kept Lucy around was because it was the only friend he couldn't burn. They would talk, and Blaze could feel Lucy's presence somewhere inside him. Blaze's Eidolon metamorphosis would bring out Lucy's true colors, but Blaze only went into that form on rare occasions.

To Blaze's relief, it seemed that he didn't have to continue talking to Lucy. Conversations with it were always troubling. It seemed that recent brand activity had peaked the interest of PSICOM. It was time for another testing session. Oh joy...

The sliding door to the holding cell opened up, revealing three familiar figures.

_Right on cue..._

Blaze knew the three well enough. Each day, he would get a brief session with the three of them. It was usually about standard procedures: body scans, injections, electrocutions, amputations, and then brand growth. That was typical, though sometimes he would be called in for training sessions. On a rare occurrence, he'd be read too. The reading material was always on this place called Pulse; Blaze was fascinated by the place, being such a radically different place compared to the holding cell or forest he was taken too.

Maybe this Pulse wasn't a place he could unintentionally burn to the ground?

This time, it seemed to be just a regular checkup. Which meant that Dr. Kacey would be spending time with Blaze.

Dr. Kacey, an extremely short man, probably half of Blaze's height, was the scientist that experimented on new specimens. Besides that, he would also check on Blaze, and determine what path should be taken next to ensure that his body would function. He was a little overweight for his size, always huffing and puffing to each side of the room when he had to test this or scan that. He was old, with wrinkly skin and a long crooked nose. His gray hair, or what was left of it, was tied in a pony tail, while the rest of his head remained an unnaturally shiny baldness. Out of the three, Dr. Kacey liked Blaze the most. Blaze was a cooperative patient, usually because any work on him would require him to be out cold anyway.

But Dr. Kacey was actually someone Blaze would like, he reasoned. He had a strange sense of humor, and always seemed to be in high spirits. He was a coward though, as one word from his superiors would send him trembling in the corner. Overall, Dr. Kacey was a strange, albeit complex, little man.

_Dr. Kacey is someone who I'd actually be friends with, if most of his procedures didn't have a 99% chance of killing a patient. _

On the right, was Miss Maria Lynch, and damn was she hot. Well, her face was cute, since Blaze could only see the woman's light brown skin and curly brown hair. The rest of her body was covered in tight white and black armor suit. Typical PSICOM soldier design, as Blaze had seen their suits before, but the different colors in Maria's suit signified her as a higher ranking officer. Blaze always enjoyed the time he spent with Maria, she was the one who not only read to him about Pulse, but also ran his training sessions. Even if she indirectly was trying to kill him, one day Blaze would work up the courage to ask her out on a date.

But first he'd have to get over the 'burn everything I touch' problem.

Maria was nice, she knew Blaze's limits well over the year in the holding cell. She would frequently talk with him, even when she was off duty, and got to know a lot about him. Blaze didn't really know anything about him before the holding cell, so he simply described to her what he dreamed he use to be. She'd always nod along and chuckle, and Blaze hoped Maria would explain what he actually was in the past, but she never did.

Despite that, Blaze still felt some strange form of attraction towards the woman, but because he was in chains, it wasn't like he could simply ask her out on a date or anything.

Last but not least, Agent Lucas Lynch. The evil older brother of Maria. Blaze surmised that it was Lucas who was in charge. The warden of the prison he was trapped in. Lynch was a cruel, angry man with that typical sadism one could only find in slasher flicks. But, he was a cold and calculating man when it came to business. His bright azure eye's and charming smile masked the inner monster inside. Blaze knew, deep down inside Lucas, was a soul of pure evil.

Lucas is the type of man who would want throwing live babies into the air and stabbing them with swords an Olympic sport.

The two were well acquainted. Lucas was the man who broke Blaze's spirit and hopes of escape only after he broke every bone in Blaze's body. Twice.

When combined, the trio appeared to be an odd bunch. Humor aside, they'd still kill a specimen for no reason other than enjoyment. They all seemed quite contradictory.

As usual, the three were here for another round of testing for Blaze, and now to see if Fang could live after one round her own training routine.

"Ah, Project: Blaze, how's my little lab rat doing?"

Lucas was the first speak. His tone was mocking Blaze, sarcastic and narcissistic. The man would never show any kindness to anyone, even his own sister.

Blaze sighed through the respirator, and rattled the chains across his metal-plated arms.

_Here we go again..._

"Skip the formalities, Lucas." Blaze said, flashing a cocky grin.

"Got anything for me to destroy today? A Warmech? Maybe a behemoth this time? Or should I simply squash more of your robots?"

Blaze laughed, remembering back to when he was tested to see how Lucy would work in the battle field. It took two months to rebuild what wasn't destroyed.

All this constant testing was getting old. Blaze would escape, but why? He knew nothing of the outside world, and knew nothing of himself either. But being locked up was too monotonous to Blaze.

_Better to die free than die in a cage, right?_

"_Let me fight and you could break out of this prison cell and be on Pulse by morning..."_

Lucy whispered to Blaze, its words itching in the back of his mind. He ignored it, as Lucas had finally managed to work up a response.

"Not today, Blaze. We've got something else planned for you."

Lucas smirked and moved strands of wavy black hair from his eyes. Dr. Kacey moved to inspect Fang, who was beginning to wake up. Maria stood by the door, her APAM at the ready.

Lucas walked over to Fang, who let loose a loud groan, telling the world that she was fully awake now.

* * *

"H-huh...Wha?"

Fang yawned sleepily, and gasped when she realized there was a small man right in front of her.

"Ah! So sleeping beauty if awake at last. How is my newest specimen doing, Dr. Kacey?"

A tall, slender man with wavy black hair spoke, to which the tiny bald man turned around and replied. The small computer in his hands tucked in a lab coat pocket. By now, the chains binding Fang had been lowered to ground level, and Fang was now on her knee's, hands raised high above her head. She was on the ground at least.

"Everything checks out a-okay, Lynch sir. Project: Naga needs an injection, an electrocution, and then she'll be ready for testing."

The short man, presumably Dr. Kacey, spoke to the man known as Lynch. The tall man walked over to Dr. Kacey, directing him to somewhere behind Fang while Lynch inspected her too.

_Ugh...I hope that was just a bad dream I was having. Vanille not love me? We've been together forever. We promised that we would! _

"Hey! Let me go!" Fang commanded. She knew it was pointless, but hey, might as well try.

She received laughs from the three, two men and a woman.

"Hmmm, not good, Blaze." Dr. Kacey sighed.

"Project: Blaze has encephalitis, which basically means that he's brain is swollen and he's got one hell of a fever. He's also got gangrene all over his left arm, which we'll have to amputate. His left eye is also completely blind now. I say we inject him and amputate his arm, which we'll replace with a mechanical one."

Lynch folded his arms across his chest, deeply in thought.

"Do it. Don't cut out his eye though, color blind to outright blind in one week isn't good. But one of his brands are there, so leave it be."

Dr. Kacey nodded.

"I'll prepare him for surgery in a few minutes."

Lynch walked to Fang, replacing Dr. Kacey who left the room. Fang was still on her knees when the black haired man stood before her. He put a gloved hand under Fang's chin and tilted up so she would be looking at his eyes.

"And how are you doing, Project Naga? Not liking her sleeping accommodations?"

_I guess I'm the Naga that Blaze told me about. So what does that make Vanille? If she survived..._

_No. I can't think like that. Vanille's alive somewhere, and I'll find her._

_Even if she doesn't love me..._

Fang responded by spitting on Lynch's shoes, and then turned her head to the side in an act of defiant resistance.

Lynch sneered at Fang. Violently now, he grabbed Fang by the hair and brought her eye's to his again. The two stared at each for a brief moment, before Lynch laughed and brutally smacked Fang across the face with the back of his hand.

She recoiled backwards, the chains restricting her from any further movement. Her right cheek was bright red, a mark was beginning to show. But Fang showed no weakness, no whimpering or cowardice.

_Well that fucking hurt. _

Lynch moved away from Fang, and brought the brown skinned woman over.

"Maria, bring _her_ on screen. I'm about to propose a little deal to Naga."

The woman pressed a few buttons on the gauntlet of her arm, and a bright blue screen projected out of her arm. The screen was mostly black, yet a figure was hanging from chains in the center.

It was Vanille, asleep.

"Vanille! Wake up! It's me, Fang!"

She yelled at the screen, thrashing wildly at the chains that kept her imprisoned.

"She can't hear you, Fang." Blaze said plainly, he knew where this was going.

"Just let Lucas tell you his deal."

This man, Lucas Lynch, nodded and looked at Fang, flashing a toothy grin.

"Project: Naga, you will work for me, do whatever I say, without question. You will not fail me when I challenge you. You will not die when I tell you kill someone, or something. You _will _not escape."

Lucas said, pacing back in forth in front of Fang.

"And if I do that I'll...?" she questioned.

"In exchange, I'll let you live." Lucas laughed.

_Not to ruin the moment but these evil laughs are really getting lame..._

Fang laughed and shook her head no.

"How about you let me go, and I won't beat your face to a pulp, yeah?"

Blaze sighed. Resistance would just hurt Fang more.

"Do it, Maria." Lucas commanded, the woman pressed a series of buttons on her gauntlet, and the screen went white.

Whatever they were doing, they were hurting Vanille. She began shaking violently and abruptly. Whimpers soon grew to loud shrieks of pain as her body convulsed. Electricity flowed across her skin.

"Stop it! Let her go!" Fang yelled, her own body was starting to glow a vibrant menagerie of colors.

Lucas was in another fit of laughter. It seemed that he was enjoying this.

"You know, I remember your little friend here making a deal with me just a few days ago."

_What?_

"She said that, if I wouldn't wake you up, if I wouldn't wake you from your crystal sleep, she'd serve me."

_Vanille was trying to protect me? But why? Why would she sacrifice herself for me?_

"You know, Naga, she served quite well. Quite well _indeed. _A nice little ass on that one, eh?"

"How dare you!" Fang screamed. Her body was glowing a deep red.

"So, what will it be? Join PSICOM, or watch your friend die?" Lucas proposed, he had a sneer plastered on his face that Fang wanted to tear off and burn to pieces.

The screen went blank and Maria unchained Fang. She was deathly silent.

_Should I? PSICOM was the enemy last time I woke up! But Vanille..._

_I need to save Vanille. But what about Lightning and the others? Well, who knows how long it's been, they might not even be alive..._

Fang looked up to a smiling Lucas, confident that he would win.

"I'll do it. I'll join PSICOM."

_This may be my only chance to rescue Vanille..._

Lucas clapped his hands together and Maria led Fang out of the holding cell.

Fang turned back, to look upon Blaze who was still in chains.

_Pfft, just as I thought. Just a fucking suit of metal. The only thing vaguely human is the knee-long mane of wild, spiky blood red hair._

Fang flashed a grin at Blaze and gave him a thumbs up.

"Don't go missing me now, okay?"

Blaze laughed, and Fang could see the metal parts rise and fall where his chest was supposed to be.

"I'll just miss staring at your ass for the past few days, Fang."

Fang growled slightly at gave Blaze the middle finger. She was about to say some snarky comment back, but was swiftly led out of the holding cell, down a gray metal hallway, and pushed into some cushioned leather chair.

"Now Project: Naga, we're going to be putting you to sleep for awhile. When you awake, you'll be suited up and ready for testing."

Maria smiled faintly before switching a lever on the wall.

As Fang's world became darker and hazier by the second, her thoughts only brought herself to Vanille.

* * *

_Fang felt her heart break. Into tiny. Little. Pieces. _

"_Vanille said she doesn't love me? After all we've been through? Ever since we met in the orphanage we were friends. Over 500 years have past since then and she decides to tell me now now that she doesn't love me! Me, who has been by her side since day one!"_

_Fang's knees fell to the ground with a thud. She clenched her fists and began pounding away at the fog covered ground. She felt angry, and even embarrassed. _

_Angry at the world. _

_Angry at Vanille. _

_Angry at herself. _

_The sounds of booming thunder and lightning were apparent in the background, followed by a torrential rain. Fang didn't care, she was in her own little world now, swallowed up in her own frustration._

_Looking back up, it seemed that the fog filled chamber had changed._

_The crevasse that was originally between her and Vanille grew wider, however Vanille stood right before Fang. _

_She was beautiful, just a few feet away from Fang, yet untouchable. _

_The rails of a train fell down from the cloudy sky and landed on the ground before them, each segment of metal connecting to each other to form a long, narrow track that spanned the width of the room. The tracks appeared to go on forever, vanishing from sight while Fang gazed upon them. A faint outline of a collection of buildings were apparent in the distance. _

_Lightning struck just a small distance from Vanille, causing her to jump in fright. Fang fought back the urge to comfort the girl like she did every time the pair endured a thunderstorm. Whether it was in a cave, huddled together on a cold night on Pulse, or in the beds of their orphanage in Oerba, Vanille would on instinct climb into Fang's bed for comfort. All the orphans were young then, the majority under ten years, so it was common to see someone afraid of the thunder and lightning. But Fang would always be the brave one, and would comfort Vanille when she snuck into her bed. They never talked about, as over time it just became natural that Vanille would sleep with Fang._

_The world became inaudible to Fang. She ceased to hear the thunder and lightning, the constant pitter patter of raindrops showering the entire chamber. A train flew by on the tracks, headed towards the small collection of buildings barely visible in the distance. It was running in reverse. _

_A far distance away from the two, Fang could spot an armored figure climbing out of the crack in the earth and follow swiftly after the train, eventually becoming a cloud of mist just like the train as it faded from view. _

_She looked at Vanille, who was taking their 'break up' quite well. She was bent over, her pretty face mere inches from Fang's own. She was smiling, and offered an outstretched hand to help Fang up. _

"_Why?" Fang whispered, before taking Vanille's hand and returning to her standing position._

"_Why what, Fang?" she replied, faking naivety._

"_I thought you—I thought that since—We were supposed to—" _

_Fang was having difficulty forming a question together. Trying to speak between pre-crying hiccups didn't provide any assistance either. Fang clenched her fists, the urge to punch something, or someone, welling up inside her. _

_She sighed deeply, and tried to organize her thoughts together to compose a question that deep inside Fang didn't want to hear an answer for. _

"_Well..." she began, peaking Vanille curiosity._

"_We've been together for so long, and...and we've been through so much...I just thought that you would have the same feelings I do for you..." Fang trailed on, a lump in her throat making it difficult to speak._

"_I love you, Vanille...and I thought you had loved me too..."_

_Vanille placed a hand on Fang's trembling shoulder. She turned to look at Vanille, tears surrounding Fang's dark green eye's. Vanille leaned in and brushed the tears away with her thumb, laughing quietly._

"_You poor misguided soul. I never loved you, Fang." Vanille said, rather bluntly. _

_Fang turned away from Vanille, sniffling and hanging her head low. Vanille's harsh words didn't help Fang cope with the rejecting of the only woman she loved. _

"_Look, Vanille, I know now that I'm not the right one for you, and this is definitely not the right time or place to say this, but..." Fang trailed on again, wiping the tears away._

"_I need you more than anything in my life. I want you more than anything in my life, Vanille. With you gone, I can't go on anymore." Fang turned to face Vanille again, cupping her cheek with her hand._

"_I'll miss you more than anyone in my life. I love you more than anything in my life. So why? Why don't you love me? All I've done was for you, Vanille. I lived to make you happy, and to protect you. So why don't you love me? What did I—"_

"_That's exactly it, Fang." Vanille interrupted, moving away from the distraught woman. _

"_You couldn't protect me, Fang."_

_Fang reached out towards Vanille, who seemed to become farther away with every second. Untouchable. _

"_I swore to protect you, Vanille. I'd die before harm would fall upon you." Fang interjected._

"_But you couldn't, Fang..." _

_Fang could feel Vanille's soft skin caressing her body, her breath warm against her cheeks. Her figure, however, appeared miles away, becoming mist just like everything else in the foggy chamber. _

"_I have a secret to tell you, Fang." she felt the words being whispered into her ear. _

"_What secret?" Fang questioned. She spoke fast._

_There was a pause from Vanille, and the thunderstorm ceased to exist. The buildings vanished, the train tracks vanished, the crevasse sealed itself back together. The room itself seamed to become darker as a whole, with just Vanille and Fang visible. Suddenly, Fang could hear Vanille's voice._

"_I died, Fang." _

_The room became pitch black, and Fang felt an unnatural fire upon her. She could hear the faint laughter of Vanille's voice echoing across something. _

"_But that's not the worst part," she continued._

"_You killed me."_

_The darkness consumed her body, and Fang disappeared just as everything else did. _

_Fang felt her heart break. Into tiny. Little. Pieces. _


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Yay! Chapter 6 is out! Whew, this one was exciting to make. Guess what? It's actiony! Yes, quite actiony! Fang goes through her training course while Blaze sqaures off against Lucas!**

**This chapter sets up everything the last five chapters have brought us. With all the main characters on a collision course the tensions will rise! Blood will be shed! People will die! It all comes down in the milestone Chapter 7!**

**But first, read Chapter 6! **

**Reviews are appreciated :) Any comments, questions, or advice is welcome as well. I'm constantly trying to out do myself!**

**Rated T for language!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the character's I've created.**

**Word Guide: Project: Naga = Fang Project: Blaze = Edgar (You learn his name last chapter, and this chapter as well) Lucas and Lynch are the same person, Lynch is simply Lucas' last name.**

**Awake**

**Chapter 6: Powers Reborn**

* * *

Oerba Yun Fang stood alone in the immensely huge, mirror-tiled room being serviced as a training facility.

The room was large as it was wide, and completely empty, save for Fang. The floor, the walls, the ceiling, they were all spotless. The tiles themselves seemed to shine. From what Fang had been told, the room was recently built from the ground up, since Blaze had nearly destroyed it, so the room was recently cleaned. Fang could see her own reflection everywhere she looked, but she didn't like what stared back at her: a construct of living metal.

When Fang awoke, she was sweating profusely and her heart thumped so hard Fang thought it was going to burst.

Opening her eyes, Fang discovered that she was covered in a suit of armor reminiscent of Blaze's own suit. Thick black plates of some type of metal covered her from head to toe, and glowing cerulean trim was present along her knees, forearms, neck, and rib cage. A helmet similar to Blaze's covered her head, with three thin parallel horizontal lines emanating a similar cerulean glow that differed from Blaze's blood red glow. Without the need of a respirator, no tubes were present on her body. Fang's mane of wild raven hair hung down her metal-plated shoulders.

Fang was told that the armor she was wearing was standard Project equipment. Only six suits were ever made. Each suit belonging to its respective Project. While made with similar design in mind, each suit functioned differently to benefit the wearer, and Fang's suit was no different; made to aid her work as Project: Naga.

Fang felt different when she finally rose from the chair after being subject to countless tests that Maria put her through. She was asleep through it all, however, never to know what actually happened to her body.

Fang felt stronger, as if otherworldly power surged through her muscles, revitalizing her.

Before moving towards the training facility, Fang was able to spy a glance at the numerous computer screens that filled the room. While some screens were filled with unintelligible text or or simply not turned on, one screen caught her dark green eye.

It was Fang. A simply body scan of the Pulsian woman, with text directed towards certain parts of her body. While most of it was something she didn't care about, Fang came to the discovery that while the l'Cie brand on her shoulder was gone, it was replaced with a different brand on her torso.

An ornate, spiked wheel covered most of her torso. The spikes were organized in a clock pattern, with the 6 o' clock spike pointing towards her navel while the 12 o' clock spike was directed at her breasts. A small, filled black circle was in the center of the ring, completing the brands current design scheme.

Growing up in Oerba, any who became a l'Cie were branded by their local fal'Cie, Anima. While the fa'Cie's brand Fang was accustomed to was a complex network of overlapping arrows with the red eye at the center, her new brand was of a completely different nature. Knowing that Anima was ultimately destroyed by Lightning, Vanille, and the others, Fang came to the conclusion that she was branded by a different fal'Cie this time around.

Her brand, eerily similar to that of a certain wheel-shaped fal'Cie...

But Orphan was dead, wasn't he?

_He better be, after the ass kicking that bloody fal'Cie took. But if he wanted to die so badly, why or how, could he still be alive to brand me? The powering of this facility alone proves that Orphan would be alive. Unless PSICOM found another power source, or I'm not on Cocoon at all..._

_Damn I would kill for a window in this forsaken place..._

After exiting the testing chamber, Fang was escorted ever so kindly to the training facility. 'Ever so kindly' was more like the butt of a gun to her gut, and being dragged on her knees towards the chamber.

The woman who led the small group of Fang and two other burly looking soldiers was Maria, clad in a white and black suit of armor strikingly different than the other soldiers the group passed along the way. The series of salutes and other signs of respect signifying that Maria was some rank above the other soldiers here. More experienced than the rest of the soldiers, but still not enough to take Fang down in a fight...

_Snap out of it, Fang! Escaping won't do anyone good. Me nor Vanille. _

_Vanille..._

Just remembering the past two dreams sent shivers down her spine and an ominous feeling of dread hanging over her head. Vanille's unconfirmed fate troubled Fang like a dark cloud pouring a torrential amount of rain. What was worse was what happened in the dreams. Fang's feelings of love towards the red head being downright rejected and stomped upon, along with the claims that Vanille was in fact dead and it was Fang who had killed her.

_Could I have killed Vanille? Be realistic here, idiot! You've been in crystal for who-knows-how-long so I couldn't have possibly harmed Vanille! I'd rather kill myself than hurt her in any way. _

Fang groaned. She felt like her body was literally sinking in a pool of quicksand.

What was wrong with Vanille?

Deciphering what strange dreams she had was sometimes troubling to Fang, but dismantling the past two dreams she's had proved to be the hardest puzzle of them all. In those dreams, nothing felt like how it should. Granted that the most whimsical things can happen when the body is asleep, nothing was how it seemed in the last two dreams. Vanille was acting so radically different that she felt like an entirely different person!

_Was it something I said? Was it because I had woke up even though she didn't want me to? Wait...Why wouldn't Vanille want me to wake up in the first place? The dream of me becoming a Cie'th was entirely about Vanille wanting me to wake up! But why would she act so cruel? To me especially!_

Dozens of outrageous thoughts answered Fang's question, however only the grimmest one made sense: Maybe Vanille didn't really love Fang anymore.

But why? Fang had loved and cared for Vanille since the two had met each other at the orphanage. They considered each other family for Pulse's sake! Fang could remember feeling scared and worried over Vanille when she had taken three months longer than usual to pass her rite of passage. Hunting a bear was no easy task for a girl like Vanille, but she had blown everyone away when the little pig-tailed redhead brought back a bear twice her size for Oerba.

_We had such good memories together..._

As long as Vanille was happy, that's what ultimately mattered for Fang. She had promised to protect her, and Fang wasn't one to break a promise. Fuck PSICOM, the world, and anyone else who stood in her way, Fang's goal was to find Vanille and more importantly to hear the answer from her herself. Fang couldn't believe the words from some apparition from her dreams, the Vanille in her dreams was hardly Vanille at all...

While her objective was to find Vanille, Fang first had to get past her training exercises.

Being 'escorted' from the testing chamber placed Fang in the training facility. Completely polished mirror tiles surrounded her. Tapping a metal-plated finger on the glass, she deemed it that it most be made of something strong enough to withstand the torture of multiple soldiers and l'Cie alike.

Maria, who left Fang to go into another room spoke to her through a loudspeaker in the upper corner of the room.

"Alright, Naga, your training will begin shortly, but I'll explain to you how your suit works."

Fang nodded and strode into the center of the room. Soon, she could hear a faint buzzing sound from her suit as the screen in front of her eyes came to life.

"First of all, look at your HUD. The heads-up display will show you the outside world around you much better than your normal eyes. The computer inside your suit will provide with a numerous amount of functions. In relation to the HUD, the computer will research any living or nonliving thing that you encounter. Besides information on the thing, you'll be provided the 'blueprints' of it. If its a living organism that you've encountered, the HUD will display their vitals, and other important statistics and will constantly scan and update as the battle prolongs. If you're fighting against something nonliving, like a Dreadnaught for instance, the schematics of the robot will appear on your HUD, outlining its structure, weak points, and weapon systems. Besides what I've stated, the HUD and the onboard computer provide many other services that you'll learn as time goes on."

Fang could hear the activation of a machine in the background static of the loudspeaker.

"Training will begin in a few minutes. Ready?"

"Wait! What am I going to do about a weapon? I can't bloody beat a machine to death with my bare fists can't I?"

Fang laughed to herself, it was debatable over whether she actually could or couldn't destroy a machine with only her hands. She was strong, but this training exercise felt like it was out to kill her.

While stuck in her thoughts, a PSICOM soldier wheeled a cart into the room with a sheet over it, an object making a noticable bulge through the cloth.

"We managed to find your old spear, Naga. You'll be finding that we made an adjustment to it, however." the soldier told Fang, as he wheeled the cart up to her and revealing the centuries old spear beneath the sheet.

Picking it up, Fang looked at her spear with a warrior's wisdom. The double bladed spear had been her choice of weapon for as long as she could remember. The red shaft ended with arcing twin metal bladed on each side, and the spear even worked as a three-section staff if needed. Being one of her only true possessions, Fang cared for the spear almost as much as she cared for Vanille. Hunt after hunt, kill after kill, Fang wielded her spear as if it was an extension of her own body.

So, she was obviously furious to know that PSICOM had tampered with her weapon.

With the boots of her metal suit scraping across the floor, Fang closed the distance between her and the soldier in one swift bound. Taking him by the throat, she nearly lifted him right off the ground.

"A new adjustment, huh?" if the helmet wasn't shielding the two from contact, the soldier would feel the blind anger from Fang's words.

"Well I didn't ask for it, did I? Well? What the hell did you do to _my _spear anyway, hmm?"

Fang dropped the soldier, who scrambled to his feet and away from Fang. She reached for her spear and spun it behind her back, the natural flow of combat returning to her battle-hardened mind.

"W-we...We simply enhanced the blades. The blades are made of a special metal, experimental in fact! It's supposed to be able to cut steel far more efficiently than ever before."

Twirling the spear between her fingers, Fang spun around slashed at the metal cart, cleaving it in two.

_Like warm butter..._

The ease at which she could cut through things astounded her. Despite PSICOM being handsy with her weapon, the enhancement was actually something she would let slide. It seemed beneficial to be able to cut through steel with ease.

The frightened soldier gathered the ruined remains of the cart and exited the room.

"Okay," Maria's voice blared from the loudspeaker. "Now we can begin. Bring out the Warmech!"

_Did I just hear that correctly? A fucking Warmech!_

The mirror-tiles began to glow a soft blue, and the wire-frame outline of a Warmech slowly came together.

Soon, layers of metal plates began to form, as well as the infamous weapons the Warmech's carried.

As the whole metal monstrosity came into reality, the room felt suddenly to small for Fang to fight comfortably in. Especially against _that._

In it's full glory the massive metal scorpion stood twice as tall as Fang, spiked tail not included, and much much wider than her. Four chainsaws from each arm spun wildly, eager for its first kill. A red visor marked the head of the beast, and thus where it could see. Twin trails of spikes trailed down its back, ending in a long spiked scorpion tail. The whole thing looked like a massive mechanized scorpion with gleaming white metal plates grafted onto it.

"How do you expect me to fight a Warmech? It nearly takes up the entire room!"

Fang could hear Maria and a few other indescribable voices over the loudspeaker.

"We have the utmost confidence in you, Fang. Good luck!" and like that, the loudspeaker shut off.

"Well my day just goes from bad to worse!" drawing her spear out and forming a defensive stance, Fang hoped one last time that this was all some sick joke.

The Warmech didn't let her wait any longer, dashing forward with it's right arm thrust out and each spinning disk of death made Fang's spear look like a toothpick in comparison.

Leaping upwards to dodge the incoming strike, Fang drove her spear right into the Warmech's armored hull. The strike was precise and clean, sliding straight through the monster and coming out on the opposite end. Sparks from clipped wires soared from the metal beast, the wound external and internal.

Landing right onto the charging Warmech, the shocking results of her first strike gave her the confidence to win this fight.

"Wahoo! Looks like this big piece of junk ain't so scary after all!"

The Warmech wouldn't go down after only one blow, however. But Fang must've hit somewhere affecting the beasts targeting system, since it seemed that the next move the Warmech would make was to stab Fang with its scorpion tail.

The spiked tail came down swift and with a vengeance, threatening to impale Fang. Struggling with freeing her spear from the metal hull proved unsuccessful, so with a daring leap, Fang abandoned her spear and rolled onto the mirror-tiled floor and away from the Warmech.

The Warmech, in all its stupidity impaled itself with its own tail. Unfortunately for Fang, it had better luck in freeing it's weapon from its hull. Without her spear, those chainsaws looked pretty scary...

_Well, karma's a bitch ain't she? Back to fist fighting I guess!_

Being the more agile one, Fang was still able to dodge each strike from the Warmech's tail with ease, however the combined might of eight spinning chainsaws was a harder challenge for the warrior.

Each attack sent Fang retreating, and each step back made the Warmech look that much more daunting.

It was only a matter of time before Fang's back met up with the wall.

"Give it a rest why don't ya? Just give me a minute and some breathing room and then I can trash your metal brain!"

Taunting the Warmech didn't seem to do anything hopeful. Neither did the next few attacks from the chainsaws grazing Fang's leg. The Warmech had her backed against a wall; its relentless attacks providing her no room to counter.

_Dammit! I can't reach my spear like this! _

_Wait! Wait! I've got spells! Yes! But wait! What spells do I know? Uhh...uhhh...Think dammit!_

_Ruin? Yes! That's it! Ruin!_

Drawing power from her brand, Fang felt the familiar rush of casting a spell. The clear, colorless ball formed in the palm of her hand, floating gracefully. She threw the spell directly at Warmech's head, the successful hit staggering the beast. Using the distraction, Fang leapt onto it's head, and attempted to pull out her spear once again. This time, she was triumphant.

Twirling the spear around for another blow, Fang closed the distance between herself and the scorpion tail. With one direct swipe, the metal appendage was wiped clean off.

Jumping off the Warmech, Fang was now behind the monster, the stump of it's decapitated tail sending showers of sparks onto the floor.

"Hah! Who's so tough now, huh?" Fang taunted the Warmech, which spun around and blindly attacked.

Fang was gaining the upper hand now. Each move from the Warmech became slower and sloppier. The first strike damaged the targeting system, while the second strike removed it's tail. Fang was liking her new spear more and more.

_Hmm..._

_If Ruin was helpful, I bet it's more powerful version would be fantastic!_

More energy from the brand on her chest flowed into her palm, forming a larger colorless ball. Fang threw the ball once more at the Warmech, the spell exploding on contact, shadowed by the even bigger explosion of the enemy.

_So, I can cast Ruin and Ruinga with ease!_

The blast of fire filled the room instantly, enveloping Fang in the inferno. She tried to shield herself with her hands, but it wasn't that helpful when the fire was all over her.

Closing her eyes, Fang endured the burning pain.

Energy from her brand flowed through her body and into the surrounding area, and like that, the pain ceased. It came as a surprise to Fang, since whatever was happening wasn't of her doing.

Opening her eyes and letting her guard down, Fang saw the mass of fire swarm around her, it's advancement prevented by a spherical dome of translucent hexagonal tiles around her. The spell was a shield of some sort.

_Helpful, but I don't know how to call upon that spell. The shield looks familiar...I've seen this before somewhere. I think I've seen a Cie'th use this before. What was it called? Inertial Barrier?_

Fang strapped her spear onto her back and stood in the center of the training room. It seemed that training was over.

"Great job, Naga! Not nearly as fast as Blaze, but damn! Pretty good I must say."

Maria's voice came over the loudspeaker, while the wrecked remains of the Warmech was carted away by a group of PSICOM soldiers.

"Yeah, yeah, thanks. What's next?"

Maria walked into the room, giving a nod to the group of soldiers and taking a look at Fang.

"You'll be briefed on your first mission and than escorted into the drop pod. Come with me, please."

_A mission? Well...at least it might shed some light on what is going on here. Heh, no worries, right? I can cut through anything now, and with Inertial Barrier I've got a great shield. This time, I'm bulletproof. _

* * *

Blaze was laying on his back, on one of the medical facilities many operating tables, when Dr. Kacey walked into the room.

After Fang's departure from the holding cell, Blaze was unchained and brought to the medical facility to be operated upon. The room itself was bland. A mix of grey, white, and black covered the room. The walls were all a blank paper white color, making the room feel empty. The room had three operating tables, since this particular room was set aside purely for the operation on Projects. Blaze had been here before, his right foot had been amputated a long time ago, while the pinky and ring finger on his right hand was amputated and the thumb on his left hand was removed as well. Each time an appendage was cut off, it was quickly replaced with a metallic counterpart.

Now requiring his left arm to be removed, Blaze felt like he was slowly becoming more machine than human. It's not like he felt like a human being anyway.

Each time Blaze needed to be operated on, Dr. Kacey would be his surgeon. Even though he was out cold each time, Blaze always thought it was funny imagining Dr. Kacey, being about one-half his height, climbing onto a stool to work on Blaze.

This time felt just like the others. It seemed that the removal of his body parts became part of his daily routine. Just like everything else he was subjected to, Blaze found this extremely _boring._

Blaze craved change. Monotonous activities bothered him, so he actually found it quite fun when he would awaken with a body part gone.

_Maybe Dr. Kacey can remove whatever part of me is making this thumping sound too. I should ask him about that..._

"_Maybe you can ask him to make you shut the fuck up."_

_Lucy, how about you stop talking, okay? _

"_Pansy..."_

Dr. Kacey strode over to Blaze, donned in green scrubs and a surgical mask. Blaze found it astonishing that someone had made clothes to fit a man of such small stature.

Next to Blaze, was a long, gray table, with a wide assortment of shiny sterilized tools. Dr. Kacey stood over Blaze, placing a hand on his left arm.

"How are you doing today, Blaze?" Dr. Kacey spoke, muffled through the cloth over his mouth.

"_How are you doing? How are you doing! I'm getting my arm fucking removed and all you can say is how are you doing?"_

_Lucy, I said shut up. First of all, it's my arm. Second...shut up!_

"_Great comeback, loser."_

Blaze shook his head, shaking off Lucy for the moment.

"Same old, same old I guess. What's crackin' with you, Dr. Kacey?"

Blaze responded through the respirator, making his voice sound much deeper than how it actually was. Dr. Kacey nodded, reaching over to Blaze's neck where a few buttons were present.

"I'm okay. Now I'm going to have to remove the armor off of your left arm, so no moving."

Dr. Kacey pressed a button on Blaze's armored neck, releasing the pressurized steam that kept his armor airtight. Slowly, the armor covering his arm left his body, landing onto the grey metal floor with a loud thud. The black armor lay there, ignored by Dr. Kacey, who now focused on Blaze's exposed arm.

The now exposed left arm, hardly looked like an arm at all when Blaze and Dr. Kacey were able to take a look at it.

The gangrene had affected his entire arm, the entire appendage swollen and blackened. Entire patches of skin were eaten away, revealing yellowing bone. The stench of death and decay was almost as worse as the visage of Blaze's dead arm. What pale white skin remained was slowly being eaten away like the rest of his arm, the muscles he had developed over the year in the training facility torn apart and decayed as well.

Dr. Kacey looked away in disgust, and Blaze felt like he was going to vomit.

"Well, it's a good thing that we caught that now, if it spread any further, Lynch would have my head!"

Dr. Kacey chuckled and began looking for a needle that would provide anesthesia. The entire infected area was numb and dead by now, but the drug was a safety precaution in case Blaze felt any actual pain.

In the midst of returning to Blaze, Dr. Kacey tripped on the forgotten piece of armor on floor. The short bald man toppled over Blaze and dropped the needle.

"Dammit!" Dr. Kacey growled. The needle was certainly ruined by now, and wasting any of the supplies would make Lucas Lynch very, very angry.

"Stupid piece of armor!" in a fit of blind anger, Dr. Kacey kicked the piece of metal fashioned as an arm. It didn't budge, but the kick was certainly powerful enough for Dr. Kacey to be in pain. Hopping on foot while his hands clutched the injured one, a string of curses escaped the short man's lips.

"Don't be destroying my property, Kacey, it's worth more than you are."

The voice belonged to Agent Lucas Lynch, who strode through the sliding door into the medical facility, an air of arrogance hanging over him. This man was all about his ego.

Flanked by two PSICOM guards, the trio stopped at the center of the room, circled around Blaze.

_Great, who called Mr. Sunshine?_

"M-muh-muh-muh..." Dr. Kacey was stammering, quickly he moved away from Blaze.

Swallowing his fears, and clearing his voice, Dr. Kacey began to inquire about Lucas' presence in the medical facility, but was cut off before the words could leave his lips.

"Don't even bother, Dr. Kacey. Leave the room now, Blaze and I need to have a little chat."

A mischievous grin was on Lucas' face as he looked at Blaze, whose expression was unknown due to the metal helmet covering his face.

Dr. Kacey nodded furiously and rushed out of the room. The two PSICOM soldiers brought Blaze to his feet and fitted the metal sleeve back onto his arm, making his suit whole again.

The two soldiers surrounding Blaze restrained his arms with their own behind his back. Lucas wanted to tell Blaze something, and he knew that Blaze would be angry.

"What do you want, Lucas? I thought I had to get this arm amputated?" Blaze asked, obviously annoyed.

"Well I told you I had something special for you, didn't I?" Lucas responded, still keeping that ugly grin plastered on his face. Blaze growled, wanting to wipe that grin off.

Despite being unable to fight his way out of the restraints, he positioned his right hand over the wrist of the soldier to the right of him.

"_What are you up to?"_

_Just shush for now, if he's going to tell me what I think he is, than I have a plan._

Blaze silenced Lucy for now. Despite Lucy only able to be heard by Blaze, since they spoke through thought, the red haired man wanted a clear mind for what he was preparing himself to do.

"So? What is it? A new test for me? What was so important that it had to interrupt my operation?"

Lucas frowned, and furrowed his brow.

"What was that? You will speak to me like you were told! As your master I demand the respect that I'm owed."

_Respect? I'll respect this guy's ass when I kick it to the curb. _

"_Oooooh, someone's angry! Come on, Edgar! Let's transform and kill this guy already! You want to escape, and with me this place will be burnt to the ground and you'll be on Pulse in no time!"_

Blaze actually considered the notion for a moment. He would like to see Pulse, the fabled place that he was read to about.

_No, Lucy. Transforming alone uses up an entire year's worth of energy. Every minute after that is another three months. Besides, I don't need you to kill this man. _

Blaze's pause only made Lucas angrier.

"Insubordination, eh? I guess I'll have to discipline you, first."

Lucas nodded towards the soldier to the left of Blaze, who left his side and stood in front of him. Blaze's left arm fell to his side, limp. Even though that arm was free, the gangrene prevented him from lifting it. Using the butt of his gun, the PSICOM soldier slammed his rifle into Blaze's stomach.

Even though his body was fully armored, Blaze could still feel the impact as the air left his lungs. Cringing in pain, Blaze remained defiant against Lucas, refusing to treat the man like he owned his body.

"I'm not some dog you can kick around, asshole!"

Lucas laughed at this, and nodded in agreement. The soldier returned to Blaze's left side, restraining the dead arm once again.

"I know, Blaze. You aren't some dog. You're my specimen. My own little guinea pig, and as long as you remain my lab rat, you're my property. I _own_ you, Blaze. Remember who is in charge here."

"_You don't have to take his abuse, Edgar! We can transform and you can have your revenge!"_

_I know, Lucy, I know! He's not worth the year I'd be shaving off my life. I've only got eleven years left anyway._

"_Remember what this man did to you! He tortured you! He had you branded three times by the fal'Cie! You awoke with fifteen years to live and over the past year you've already lost four of those years! With only a little over a decade left, don't you want to get revenge on the man who brought so much pain upon you? He erased your memory! For all you know he could've killed your family! Your friends! Together we can tear him limb from limb and burn this place to the ground."_

_I know, but that isn't the way I want things to be done. I need to do things myself. _

"_Why? Joining together should be a good decision! You know as well as I do that when we join together, our power increases one-hundred fold! Only with me will you become a God!"_

_I know, but..._

Blaze's thought were interrupted when Lucas continued speaking, smiling from ear to ear.

"I'll take your silence as your surrender. Anyway, I didn't come here to kick you around. I've got a mission for you."

Blaze looked up at Lucas, looking somewhat hopeful for what he has to say.

"You'll be going with Project: Naga to Pulse. From there you two will rendezvous with Project: Myst. The three of you will wipe the city of Paddra off the map. We already have military personnel en route, but three Projects there will make sure that no Pulsian soul will leave that city alive."

The mission that Lucas proposed shocked Blaze. Pulse is real? Not just some story book fantasy land?

Blaze was actually eager to go, despite being told to slaughter thousands of human lives.

_Pulse is real! I'll finally be able to go there! Even better, it might be my only chance of escape!_

Thinking more deeply on the subject, Blaze sighed heavily. How could he kill thousands of people he never knew existed? They never did anything wrong to him, so why should they be killed?

No, going to Pulse would have to wait. Blaze couldn't kill all those innocent people.

"_You might not, but I can..."_

"No. I won't go. I won't kill innocent people!"

Lucas laughed, playing it off as a joke.

"Sure, sure, sure. Don't worry, they won't stand a chance against you! Bullets practically melt before coming into contact and I'm sure their technology isn't great enough to build functioning manadrives."

Blaze shook his head again, making Lucas angry again.

"Remember who is in charge, Blaze! I can make you do whatever I want you to! Your life is in my hands!"

_Guess it's time to enact my plan. The way things should go, I should only have to use up three months. If I could get this fucking suit off my powers wouldn't be limited! It would only take up one week's worth of my life._

Blaze closed his eyes and cleared his mind. Tapping into the energy of his brands, his body returned to him. As energy surged through him, Blaze felt his left arm move again, while his left eye was cured of its blindness.

_It's good to be back, if only temporary._

Grabbing both of the soldiers wrists that restrained him with each respective metal-plated hand, Blaze burnt through their armor, receiving shrieks and gasps of pain.

The two soldiers jumped back, clutching their injured wrists only to be burnt again, the touched areas a molten red from Blaze.

"What are you doing, Blaze! You know that I'll-"

"Escaping!"

Blaze interrupted, taking the heads of each of the PSICOM soldiers in each burning red palm. Metal turned bright red and the sounds of sizzling flesh filled the air as each soldier was cooked alive. Mustering up the last of his strength, Blaze sent both of the soldiers crashing against the wall, to remain motionless as their skin baked inside the melting pot of their armor.

Blaze felt his legs shake as his body weakened. His left arm went numb as his left eye became blind once more. The energy that flowed through his body, giving him strength left as quickly as it came.

_Three months of my life used up in four measly seconds. Things wouldn't be so bad if I could get this suit off!_

"_If you transform with me, the suit will be destroyed..."_

_It's not worth it, Lucy. I'll find a way._

Blaze shambled over towards Lucas, who was standing tall and confident despite both of his guards being killed with ease.

"Who is in control now, Lucas? Should I bring Lucy to come out and play? I'm sure it like to be reacquainted with you."

Lucas scoffed at Blaze, his hand ready to grab the pistol on his side if need be.

"If you don't want me to transform with Lucy and destroy this place, I think you'll be letting me leave now."

Lucas laughed at the insanity in Blaze's words.

"So you want to escape? That won't be happening anytime soon."

Blaze growled and took a step forward, but stopped when Lucas pointed his pistol at him. He wasn't powerful enough to melt bullets with the suit on.

"Why's that, Lucas? What do you have that will keep me here?"

"I think you'll want to stick around, Blaze. Don't you want to know what happened to your mother? Your father?"

_I have parents? _

"_Of course, you idiot! How do you think you were born!"_

Blaze stopped in his tracks. He actually did want to hear what Lucas had to say. Finding out who he was is just as important as achieving godhood.

"Fine. But when I come back from this mission, you better tell me everything! Or Lucy and I will tear this place apart!"

"_You know you can't trust him, Edgar."_

_I know. Don't worry, I have a plan._

Lucas grinned ear to ear again. "Excellent."

* * *

Fang sat in the horribly uncomfortable seat of the drop pod. The interior was small and compact, fitting four people with no personal space in mind. The drop pod itself was a tiny ship, used for soldiers to launch from ships onto the battle-field. This time, it was used to transport the two Projects to their first mission together: Paddra.

Blaze sat across from Fang, the metal fingers of his right hand drumming against the metal walls. His left arm remained limp and lifeless.

Fang's mission sounded very simple, to an idiot. They were to drop down into Paddra, meet up with this Project: Myst person, and then slaughter each and every human being in the city.

Five hundred years ago, Fang didn't know much about the small city, but that was unimportant, since the mission gave her the idea that Pulse was inhabited again! Three years had passed since her and Vanille's transformation into Ragnarok, and the human survivors of Pulse spread and flourished. Rapidly building up a civilization from Oerba to Paddra and Haerii. Learning that cities like New Bodhum and New Nautilus meant that the human survivors were numerous, in the hundreds of thousands maybe.

With all this new information about her old home planet, Fang still didn't know why PSICOM was planning on attack the human's on Pulse. Even worse, she didn't even know how they were able to survive without Orphan powering Cocoon. Unless he was alive...

_Maybe Blaze could fill me in. He's been around longer than me, so he should know something._

"Hey, Blaze," the words brought the red haired man out of a trance. He must've been in a deep thought.

"What's the deal with PSICOM? How're they around? Like, what's keeping the whole facility functional?"

Blaze was silent, reminding Fang that the two were actually falling through the sky in a tiny drop pod to Pulse. They had barely made it out of Cocoon, and with no windows present, Fang still didn't know what the outside world looked like.

Was it a war-torn wasteland?

"I'm just as clueless as you are, Fang. All I know is that the facility we've been staying in has been attached to a massive fal'Cie airship named Ark. Another facility was built too, where Project: Geist, Terra, and Genesis were created. As for why we need to kill thousands of people in Paddra, well, I guess PSICOM just doesn't like 'em, eh?"

Blaze laughed silently as he finished the sentence. He was speaking quickly, like something else had his attention and he really didn't want to be here.

Fang stared at her hands.

_Could I really kill thousands of people?_

"_You've done it before. What's stopping you now?"_

Vanille's voiced echoed inside the confines of her mind. Fang clenched her fists, trying to fight away the nightmarish voice of her friend. How had Vanille grown to hate her so?

Fang placed her hand over her forehead, in an attempt to wipe the sweat off her brow. She only stopped, when she realized that the helmet was blocking her from doing so.

_Why is it so hot?_

The sounds of Blaze getting up caught her attention. The straps and bars keeping him in place to the chair seemed to glow an intense red and melt away. He stood up, the shift in weight causing the drop pod to rock a bit.

"What're you doing, Blaze? Ya can't go to the bathroom in here, you know."

Blaze only laughed silently again to himself. He placed both palms against the metal walls. Soon, they began to glow a red as deep as his blood red hair. The metal seemed to melt away, causing an opening in the drop pod.

The change in pressure sent the drop pod spinning, and Fang could faintly see the suit covering Blaze's body glow and melt away like everything else he touched.

"Blaze!" Fang's voice was lost in the wind.

"Are you insane? You can't jump out!"

The red haired man simply smiled and gave the woman a thumbs up, his right eye a deep red, while the left was covered in the brand of a l'Cie. Arcing lines of thin black swept over most of the left side of his face.

"It was fun, Fang. Say hello to Vanille for me." he flashed another grin, seemingly unaffected by the wild spins of the drop pod while the intense gusts of wind blowed his knee long spiky red hair over him like a thick fur.

Finishing that sentence, the near-insane man leaped out of the drop pod and into the empty sky.

Fang looked outside of the opening of the drop pod, the image of Blaze quickly fading from view.

She could, however, hear the distant scream of the man.

"Lucy, it's time to come out and play!"


	7. Chapter 7P1

**A/N: Okay, here it is. Part One of Chapter 7. I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I had making it. :)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the characters I create.**

**Word Guide: Fang=Naga Myst=To be revealed C.H.E.S.S= CHemically Enhanced Super Soldier APAMR= All Purpose Anti-Materia Rifle**

**Reviews, comments, questions, criticism is appreciated.**

**I've left quite a few easter eggs in the chapter, find 'em and you get a cookie. xP**

**Special thanks to PoMPyromancer, for providing one of the most interesting conversations I've had with someone over the internet. Check out his story by the way, Final Fantasy XIII and the Unauthorized Parody, because everyone loves free advertisement! (You owe me!)**

**Special thanks to Lady Midday, for fixing my terrible spelling and grammar, as well as providing ideas. ($5 says that sentence was grammatically incorrect...this one too.)**

**And special thanks to that anonymoys person reviewing my story (I wish I could reply to you) and everyone else who clicked on my story and read it!**

**Awake**

**Chapter Seven: Paddra, Part One**

* * *

Behind enemy lines, outnumbered, outgunned, and no way to escape. The only solution?

Kill. Them. All.

The little scouting mission that Lightning and C.H.E.S.S were sent upon made a turn for the worse. Paddra was a killing field. PSICOM had invaded the city in the night, massacring any living thing they could find. The streets were piled high with the dead corpses; humans, civilian and military personnel alike. Judging from the battle scars the city was suffering, PSICOM had dropped down into Paddra and had immediately gained the upper hand. What ragtag forces Paddra managed to form during the midst of all the chaos were retreating after every fight. PSICOM soldiers were still dying, but it seemed that for every one soldier that was slain, ten Pulsians fell.

It was a losing war. Just how C.H.E.S.S liked it.

Steering a train in reverse into a city wasn't an easy feat, but Knight managed to pull it off. But drawing too much attention to themselves would be suicide, leaving Lightning and the others to gather whatever supplies they could carry and get off the train. Setting out from the train station, Lightning was granted with a great view of the battle thus far.

Whole platoons of PSICOM infantry had invaded Paddra. Tanks, mechanical beasts, and aircraft served as a reminder to Lightning that overkill is definitely not enough.

Upon exiting the train station, C.H.E.S.S quickly found shelter in a nearby building. Any means of shelter wouldn't last long; once PSICOM was done checking the place out for anything of interest, the building was leveled to the ground.

"It's all empty, boss lady!" Bishop yelled out to Lightning.

"It's some sort of office building. Completely empty, and no signs of life."

Lightning, Rook, Knight, and Pawn had all met up in a parlor room of some sort, when Bishop finally regrouped with the rest. Pawn was fishing out various pieces of technology out of a duffel bag with Knight next to him, cleaning his APAMR, Mercy. Rook was standing by the door, making sure that Bishop's words were true: that no one else besides them were inside the building.

"So the building was abandoned by the time we entered it, Bishop?"

The black armored woman nodded. When C.H.E.S.S had to go into combat, Bishop, Rook, Knight, and Pawn all had special armor to use. All black plates of armor covered their body, a black, red visored helmet donned on the head to complete the outfit. The armor was used to provide protection, while the color allowed the user some means of stealth and camouflage. Lightning refused to wear one, preferring her natural agility and stealth over a bulky armor suit.

"Yes ma'am. We're lucky, the whole sector is clear of PSICOM and Pulsian forces alike."

Lightning nodded. Taking the lead, she strode out of the parlor. The others were quick to follow once they took note of their leader's absence. Down the numerous amount of hallways, she eventually found what she was looking for. Stairs. The soldier girl paused at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for the others to catch up.

"Okay, we're going up the staircase to the roof. Rook, cover our backs. I want no one sneaking up on us, okay?"

The hammer-wielding man silently nodded, and went to the back of the line.

"Pawn, once we reach the rooftop, I want you to scan our surroundings. Get an entire map of the city straight onto our data logs."

"Yes ma'am."

After giving the short orders, Lightning began to ascend the stairs.

The building was taller than they had imagined. Without an elevator the group had to climb the fifty stories or so. By the time they reached the rooftop, they were all officially tired.

The rooftop was a plain gray, cement square. About forty feet long and forty feet wide, and just like the rest of the building below, completely abandoned. Collapsing onto the floor, the group could see the entire city from their view point. They could see the whole battle play out from up here. By now, the battle was almost entirely one-sided. PSICOM forces pushed back any armed resistance until they were surrounded and killed.

"Aww...do we have to kill so many? There's just too much of them! We'd be here for hours killing all those guys!"

Knight groaned. He was right, massive numbers of PSICOM were in the city. It would probably take more than a day for the five of them to rid Paddra of the enemy.

Lightning stood up and paced around the roof, deep in thought. Rook stood by the doorway. Pawn began ruffling through his duffel bag again, pulling out his equipment.

"Man up, Knight." Bishop laughed and playfully punched Knight's shoulder. The two were sitting together on the edge of the roof, their feet dangling over the edge.

"C.H.E.S.S leads the Onion Life. We peel away one layer of the enemy at a time, and they cry all the way."

The two laughed at the bad joke before getting up and heading over to Lightning, who by now was ready to give out her next set of orders.

"Pawn, you finished yet?"

The man in questioned nodded quickly, and mumbled something under his breath. Turning around, he held up what he was looking for.

"Aha! Here we go, C.H.E.S.S' own Eye in the Sky. This little guy will give us a birds eye view of the city."

Pawn held in his hand what looked like a miniature satellite. A small, black canister-like center with two mirror-panel rectangular wings on the side. Antennae covered the canister. Taking the device over towards a small portable mortar, Pawn placed the device inside.

"You guys might wanna cover yer ears for this," he spoke almost as fast as he ran to the other side of the roof.

"Wait! What are you doing?"

Lightning looked at Pawn, stunned. She wasn't looking for an explanation of what the device would do, but what Pawn was actually doing.

"What do you mean, what am I doing?"

Pawn was looking as confused as Lightning was now.

"I'm launching the satelli-"

"Are you an idiot? We can't be attracting attention towards ourselves with explosives!"

Lightning interjected, waving her arms out to the side for emphasis.

She ran towards Pawn, lifting him up by the collar. Now that the two were at an equal height, Lightning could see the confusion and fear in the small man's hazel eyes.

"Turn it off. Now."

She spoke cold and stern. This was a mission, and Lightning couldn't afford a liability. Especially not from her own team.

"W-well...Uhmm...Well you see..."

"What? Spit it out already." the soldier girl shook Pawn violently.

What Pawn said was blocked out by the mortar firing the Eye in the Sky. Lightning could see his mouth moving, but just an explosion processed into her mind.

She dropped Pawn to the floor and snapped her head towards the projectile screaming into the upper levels of the sky. A puffy white trail followed the satellite's ascension.

_Shit._

"We've gotta move!" Lightning unsheathed her gunblade and ran through the door. Knight, Bishop and Rook followed, leaving Pawn behind to grab his duffel bag of equipment and catch up.

Lightning flew down the stairs as fast as she could. Each nanosecond left on a step would be subtracting a nanosecond from her lifetime. Her mind was blank, everything now was just go, go, go.

Heartbeat quickened, and eyes widened as primal instincts took over. Kill or be killed. The world around her was silent, except for the sounds of her steel-toed boots hitting the next step and her breathing down the next gulp of air.

She had to go faster. Surely, PSICOM had been on their trail the minute they saw the satellite rocket into the upper atmosphere. Steps became jumps, and jumps became leaps as Lightning went down, down, down each flight of stairs. Out of the corner of one azure eye she could see that the others weren't even behind.

_If they can't keep up, they're as good as dead. _

Floor after floor after floor it was all the same. Perspiration ran down her skin as legs burned for more blood to be pumped to her body. It felt like her heart would explode at the rate it was beating.

The communicator strapped onto her hip began to buzz, the words of someone coming through.

"Boss lady, wait up! Why're we in such a hurry?"

Lightning couldn't tell whose voice came through the communicator as she ran. All that mattered now was run faster, faster, faster down each flight of stairs.

Grabbing the communicator she flipped it open and pressed it against her ear while she ran.

"A-are...you...stupid? PSI...PSICOM's going to look for us once they see that satellite!"

She spoke in ragged gasps, each word spoken taking away precious oxygen to fuel her burning legs.

_Twenty-six..._

Only on floor twenty-six? Lightning scolded herself for not being faster. It had only been a minute or so since the miniature satellite was launched and she had descended twenty-four floors already. She wasn't quick enough, _they_ all weren't quick enough. Surely by now PSICOM would be surrounding the building?

_This isn't working._

Lightning crashed into the wall, collapsing onto the floor. PSICOM would already be here, wouldn't they? Running outside would make it worse. Resting against the wall, she tried to catch her breath, the noisy mass of the others in C.H.E.S.S stampeding down from the upper floors echoed down to her.

She crawled over to a nearby window overlooking the street in front of the building.

Soldiers. Lot's of them. A few squads of soldiers had formed a perimeter around the entrance, a collection of military grade machinery for back up. A tank had its sights on the building. The assumption that PSICOM sent in a scout team to to search the building was the worst thought creeping into Lightning's mind.

"-boss lady, what's going on?"

Bishop's voice snapped Lightning out of her trance. The remaining members of C.H.E.S.S finally caught up with their strawberry blonde leader. Bishop reached out a hand to pull Lightning up, who abruptly pulled her down when contact was made.

"Stay low! PSICOM's outside. We can't be seen!" Lightning's words were hushed and whispered. Ushering the others to crouch low and remain hidden.

Lighting payed another look outside the window, nothing seemed to have changed.

_Probably waiting for the search team to report..._

"What're we going to do? Going outside would be suicide!" Bishop whispered, after taking a look outside for herself.

Lightning turned her head towards Pawn, his duffel bag sloppily and hastily strapped over his shoulder.

"Any ideas?"

Pawn looked through his duffel bag, taking out a small metallic object. A transmitter of some sort, Pawn held the small device in his hand for the others to take a look at.

"This little guy is a trap I set up incase we were ever surrounded by the enemy. Well, it looks like it's time to use it."

Pawn plugged the tiny transmitter onto his armor suit. A successful beep emitted from the device, as Knight shifted over to get a better look at it.

"What's it do?"

Pawn took a look outside the window before returning to his crouched position.

"It's my patented Mobile Mine Field. It's an invisible barrier emanating from this tiny transmitter here that will hack into enemy machinery and overload them."

Pressing a series of buttons on the tiny device, the sounds of people walking up the staircase gave the five nervous looks.

"Hurry!"

Bishop nudged Pawn's shoulder.

_Time is of the essence here._

"The transmitter will interrupt current functions of the machinery it's hacked in to. It'll overload their systems with random and useless data, spam, pop-ups, and another miscellaneous things."

Lightning peeked her head around the corner, gazing down upon the eight or so metal-clad soldiers climbing the stairs. They were only a few flights below, and deathly silent now. They must've figured out that someone was occupying the building.

"So...what you're saying is...That little doohickey is going to overload the enemy's technology with porn and those stupid male enhancement ad's, right?"

Knight looked over towards Pawn, laughing as he asked the question. His hand was around his gun, Mercy, ready for a fight.

"Yup, essentially we're killing our enemies by porn." Pawn laughed and activated the device.

Lightning rose her hand, silencing the group. The PSICOM search team would be on them any minute now.

Suddenly, a series of small explosions racketed through the room, and the five could hear the shocks of surprise from the group of soldiers. The sounds of slumping bodies and cries of the dead followed.

The five peeked their heads out to see the spectacle below them.

Seven, maybe eight PSICOM soldiers lay dead on the staircase. Their weapons a smoky mess while the helmets were half blown off. Blood and electricity alike flowed out from the charred remains of the soldiers.

Lightning, Rook, Bishop, and Knight all stared with bewildered eyes at Pawn. The grin on his face gave away that he was responsible for the deaths of the search team below them.

"So...that was your Mobile Mine Field, right?" Knight inquired, still in slight disbelief.

Pawn nodded at pressed a few more buttons on the transmitter.

"Yup. It's only got a range of fifteen feet, so we need to stick close."

The other four nodded, and slowly began the trip down the remaining flights of stairs. With Lightning taking point and Rook covering their backs, C.H.E.S.S carefully and silently continued their escape. Careful examination of the bodies provided nothing of use. All electronic devices held by the soldiers were fried.

Moments later, the group stood before the entrance door, hidden by a few toppled pieces of furniture. The simultaneous beeping from the five was followed by a deathly silence, in hope that the small army of at least fifty or so hadn't heard.

"Hey! Our radar is up!" Pawn whispered, showing his data log to the others. A full overhead view of the city was visible on the screen. Lightning could roughly make out positions of PSICOM troops. Useful, but not at the moment.

_We have to make it out of this fight first._

The group huddled together, ready for the plan Lightning was busy formulating in her head.

"When we get out there, we're going out gun's blazing." she began, rewarded with a sound of satisfaction from Knight.

"Pawn, I want you to see if you can take control of the enemy vehicles. Deactivating them is your main priority."

The man nodded, reaching for a small handheld computer.

"Rook and Knight, you'll be heading right into the center of combat. Bishop, what grenades do you have left?"

The woman searched through the bountiful amount of pouches strapped across her body. Drawing out four tiny green canisters.

"I've only got smoke grenades left, ma'am."

"Aww, no flashbang through the door?" Knight chuckled, receiving a death glare from Lightning.

"Perfect. When we rush out there, let a few loose. We'll need as much cover as we can get, but keep one or two around. If we need to escape, those will cover our tracks."

Lightning resumed her plan, leaving Bishop to strap the smoke grenades on her for quick and easy use.

Switching her Blazefire Saber into gun form, the soldier girl inserted a fresh clip of ammo.

"What about you, boss lady? What's your part in this?"

Lightning looked at Pawn and flashed him a few manadrives.

"What's my part in all this? I'll be providing a distraction. I'll shoot off Thundaga, Waterga, and Aeroga to distract PSICOM, hopefully killing a few in the process, while you guys do your jobs."

Inserting the small chips into her ammo clip, Lightning began to inch closer to the door, calling the others to her.

"On three, ready?" Lightning paused, receiving a nod or an okay from each of member.

"Even if we survive this battle, we might not make it out of the city alive."

"As long as I go by Pawn's Mobile Mine Field, then at least I'll die with some chick's fake tits bouncing in front of my eyes."

Knight chuckled, receiving a death glare from Lightning and Bishop this time.

"Anyway...Three..."

_This is it._

"Two..."

_C.H.E.S.S leads the Onion Life. We peel away one layer of the enemy at a time, and they cry all the way._

"One."

Lightning burst through the entrance door onto the sidewalk outside. They had managed to catch PSICOM by surprise, since they weren't shooting yet. Aiming her gunblade high into the air, Lightning shot three times, each bullet activating its respective manadrive. Whizzing past her, the soldier girl could see three of Bishop's smoke grenades bounce onto the street, covering the area in a thick smoke.

As the manadrives were creating a disaster upon the enemy, Rook and Knight ran into the fray with Pawn following swiftly from behind.

The torrential rain, bolts of lightning, and strong gusting wind reeked havoc among the ranks of soldiers. They opened fire blindly, the impenetrable smoke blocking sight.

A series of small explosions and someone yelling were only blocked out by the raging elements and gunfire around Lightning.

_It looks like Pawn's Mine Field thing actually worked._

Switching to blade form, Lightning and Bishop followed Rook, Knight and Pawn into battle. The five worked as one, bullets, tech, and blade alike. The battle-hardened Pulsian elite killed swaths of the enemy while bullets and magic buzzed by them.

A smirk actually formed on Lightning's face when a charging group of infantry abruptly bursted into flames when they entered the mine field.

Their chaotic assault upon the enemy force had given C.H.E.S.S the upper hand, but when the smoke finally cleared, the five were surrounded.

A dozen or so PSICOM soldiers had them surrounded, laser dots right on their foreheads. The vehicles present were wrecked piles of flaming debris. The fifty or so small army had dwindled to a dozen infantryman, an Executor, and a Beta Behemoth.

"Halt! Drop your weapons and I'll make this as painless as possible."

The Executor strode up to Lightning, standing a whole head taller than the soldiers guarding him.

"They're going to arrest us?" Knight whispered.

"No, he just doesn't want to get his hands dirty when he kills us." Lightning said, her gun pointed at the Executor.

By now the soldiers had learned they should keep their distance away from the group. Charging directly into the group would result in a fiery explosion.

"Hah! Scared are you? Come on! Can't take down five ragtag soldiers, can you?"

Bishop punched Knight. "Don't taunt them, you idiot!"

Knight ignored her, and continued. He looked around and laughed, hanging his gun on his shoulder. He directed his gaze towards the Executor and the Beta Behemoth.

"Come on, you worthless pieces of crap! Do they let anyone into the military these days? Sheesh and here I thought I might just break a sweat!"

The Executor pressed a button on his gauntlet and directed the Beta Behemoth to attack the group.

"Come on! Your mother was a hamster, and your father smelled like elder- oh shit!"

Knight and the others leapt out of the way from an attack from the Behemoth.

"You idiot! See what you've done!" Pawn yelled at Knight, reaching for his dual pistols.

"W-well I thought he would've exploded like all the other suckers who got to close to us! What happened to your Mobile Mine Field?"

Knight yelled back, aiming his rifle at the mechanical beast.

"I guess it doesn't work on things bigger than a PSICOM soldier! We'll have to fight this one for real."

The five had the Behemoth surrounded, but they in turn were surrounded by the dozen infantry and the Executor.

"Just surrender. You're outnumbered, outgunned, and you've got no way to escape. Your only solution is to surrender and die quietly."

"True, but you're clearly outmatched!" Lightning said, baiting the Executor some more.

The Executor raised his hand, giving the order to his soldiers to be ready to fire.

He lowered his shaking hand, not an order to fire, but not an order at all. Everyone, PSICOM and C.H.E.S.S alike had their eyes on the sky. Something, something _big_ was coming straight for them.

From down below, it looked like the debris of a building, or a tiny ship. A meteor perhaps. Whatever it was, the thing was falling out of the sky at an alarming rate. The ground began to shake and the air around them began to heat up.

Whatever the thing was, it crashed fast.

Shock waves and explosions surged through the area. Flying debris of rock, machine and human past by Lightning. The blast had knocked her and the other members of CH.E.S.S to the ground. Smoke entered her lungs and clouded her eyes. The world around her was feeling fuzzy and faint, a heavy pressure on her mind and body tempted her to give in and sleep.

Lightning coughed and writhed for air until the smoke cleared. Something heavy had landed on her, and she didn't know what is was. At last, she gave in to temptation, as her consciousness slowly slipped through her fingers.

* * *

_Ugh...My head. It feels like an Adamantoise just stepped on me._

In the confines of the drop pod, everything was silent and still. The crash was painful enough to Fang, but whatever she crashed into was much much worse. The four chairs were destroyed, leaving the center platform and the walls slightly intact. The wall opposite of Fang was gone, melted by Blaze when he left.

_Escaped, more like it. Damn fool is going to get himself killed. _

Rock, cement and other parts and pieces of debris cluttered the drop pod. A healthy layer of dirt and dust covered Fang's metal suit. The crash had cause her to break free from the bindings and land, face first, onto floor.

"_Determining current location..."_

Fang's suit buzzed and came to life. The cerulean plates covering her forearms, ribs, and knees resumed their usual glowing. The HUD screen in her helmet came up before her eyes, allowing Fang to see the outside world. Half of the drop pod was lodged into something, while the other half was in the open air.

"_Current Location: Office Building #24, Train Street, Paddra."_

Part one of her mission was a success. Despite being sent off course by Blaze's actions, Fang managed to land into the city. Now, what was part two? It had something to do with meeting up with Project: Myst, she remembered.

_Should be friendly, right? Being a Project myself and all means we're on the same side._

Getting up from the position she was on her back, Fang sat up against the wall. The wall acted as great support, since she had nearly no energy to stand up yet. The flight had left her sick, so it was probably best that Fang stayed where she was for the moment.

"_Initiating Healing Process..."_

"_Systems check: Operational."_

Turning her head to the outside, Fang was thankful for the helmet over her face, covering her eyes from the intense bright light. From what she could see, the street was in ruins. A fight had previously gone on. Bodies of PSICOM soldiers and pieces of broken machinery littered the streets. Large chunks of rock and cement were in unorganized piles in the street. Thick, black smoke rose from the roof of the building, and several other buildings around her were the same.

_Looks like I crashed the party, huh?_

Reaching for her spear, Fang placed the blade onto the ground, using the spear as a walking stick. Getting back onto her own two feet wasn't so hard now, her weight supported by the spear.

"_Healing Process: Complete"_

Cool air was breathed onto her skin from the suit. The chemical blowing onto her skin felt good! Her body returned to normal, and full of energy again. Now it was time to hit the road, someone was bound to notice something falling out of the sky and crashing into the city.

Looking over the edge, Fang noticed that the drop pod had crashed into a building. The small ship was a few feet off the ground, which Fang quickly cleared with a simple jump. Shaking the feeling of vertigo when she landed, Fang looked around.

The building the ship crashed into was demolished. Everything was in messy piles of debris. The drop pod was in no functional shape. It didn't bother Fang much, she knew this was going to be a one-way ticket.

She moved into the center of the street, observing the remains of the fight. She didn't figure out much, the crash must've sent things all over the place. The only interesting piece of evidence was the wrecked remains of a Beta Behemoth. She tapped a button on her neck, releasing the helmet from the rest of the armor. A few short bursts of steam escaped, leaving her armor airtight no more. Breathing in the air of Paddra sent Fang coughing. Dust and smoke filled her lungs until she managed to control her breathing.

It was nice having the helmet off. Fang could feel the sun's warmth on her skin, the wind blowing through her wild hair...the missile coming straight for her? A projectile flying at her at an alarming rate passed through the space between two buildings.

_Just my lucky fucking day._

Raising her hands against the missile, energy from her brand flowed through her body. Projecting that energy around her, Fang formed a shield. The Inertial Barrier spell, formerly used by Cie'th, surrounded her body, a translucent spherical dome. The missile collided with the shield and exploded on contact. While she was saved from the blast, Fang was hit by the impact. The force sent her flat on her back, the fiery remains of the missile disappearing in the wind.

_Well...I guess that's the welcoming committee. _

Fang got back onto her feet. Taking a look around, she couldn't find the place where the missile was fired from. But location didn't matter, it was best to get moving. If the whole city was a war zone, than it was best to find the people that were supposed to be on her side.

Reattaching her helmet to the rest of her suit, Fang randomly chose a direction walked down the street.

She was told to meet up with this Myst person somewhere. But where was he? Or she for that matter. Fang only got a name from PSICOM, she'd have to find out the rest on her own. The sounds of guns firing echoed through the otherwise silent city. Things seemed like a ghost town, walking past block after block everything was all the same. Piles of PSICOM soldiers and humans Fang assumed were the civilians of Paddra filled up the streets. All were dead. The trails of tanks driving through the street gave Fang a place to go to. If she wanted to find Myst, finding her allies would be good too. Following the path, the sounds of a firefight became steadily louder.

"_Determining current location of: Project: Myst..."_

The sounds of a battle were getting louder as Fang got closer. But the nearer she got to the battle, the less visible the world was. A thick, cloudy fog was ahead of Fang. Her gaze couldn't pierce the wall, whatever lay beyond was a mystery.

"_Current location of: Project: Myst, found. Ifrit Avenue, Paddra."_

A map on her HUD marked the location of her target. Myst was somewhere ahead of Fang, inside the wall of fog.

_Well, I guess if this is how Myst makes an entrance, he must be a really creepy guy. _

Clearing the doubts from her mind, Fang strode into the fog blocking her sight. She held her spear in a defensive position, ready for an ambush to take place. Inside the wall of fog, the building's previously around her vanished from sight. The street below Fang's feet seemed to be gone as well, making it appear like she was walking on air. She could hear nothing but the sounds of the battle ahead of her somewhere. Shot's being fired, men yelling out orders, people dying, all making strange echoes that bounced around inside Fang's mind.

_This place feels so familiar..._

"_The whispers of things unseen._

_A raging ocean where beasts of claw and Fang cannot escape._

_Vast and endless, cold and deep,_

_Where we find ourselves adrift."_

Fang stopped moving, the mysterious voice setting off her paranoia. Her spear ready to strike, Fang spun around, looking for the speaker. All she could see was the fog, surrounding her and clouding her vision. To Fang, it felt like her mind was playing tricks on her.

"_To follow instinct is to kill yourself, and all that you love. _

_They stick to the back of your mind."_

Fang swung her spear around her, attacking the air. She felt a presence, but she couldn't see anything!

"Come on out! You scared to fight me?" her words were not answered.

This was stupid. Voices talking to her? Fang must've gone crazy.

"_Change your thoughts, and you change your world._

_Unleash the hero._

_It is never to late to be what you might have been."_

Fang broke out into a running stride. She had to escape the voice. But where was it? The indescribable words replayed over and over, following her every footstep.

"_The dogs of war will rip the head of god off with claw and Fang._

_When the blood of divinity rains, none will stand before you."_

The mysterious voice seemed to be silent after that, allowing Fang to exhale a sigh of relief.

The wall of fog imprisoning Fang seemed to move away. Colliding into itself on one single point. The mass of fog began to take shape, an armored humanoid being the source of it all.

The metal-clad creature was crawling along the walls of a building, attention away from Fang. With her vision free again, Fang was able to look around. Her running had brought her into the crossfire of the battle she was hearing earlier. She was on another road now, but the design was nearly the same as the one she had landed on earlier. Piles of rock, cement, and debris littered the street, making some kind of cover for the fighting soldiers. To the left, the remnants of the PSICOM force. The wounded or dead bodies of the soldiers were kept on the sidewalks, so the surviving force could continue fighting. A tank, the one Fang assumed was making the trail she followed, was wrecked. The canon and turret armature was blown completely off, leaving a gaping hole on top of the tank. The front side of the tank was crushed, driven into the side of a building. Scorch marks surrounded a second gaping hole, but wait, why was she being analytical now? People were shooting by her yet Fang stood with her gaze intent on Myst.

"H-hey, hey! Project: Naga! Over here!" someone called out to Fang.

She found the speaker on the PSICOM side of the firefight. Quickly rushing over to avoid being shot at she crouched behind a pile of debris, the soldier who called her over with her.

"It's good that you arrived. We received word that your drop pod had landed, and at just the right time too. Rebel Pulsian forces are still resisting. We have Project: Myst here, but she thinks that with you here we can push the rebels back."

_So, Myst is a girl. Huh...creepy girl then. _

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it. You want me to kill stuff. Just sit back and watch how it's done, kay?"

Fang gave a thumbs up to the soldier, who saluted in turn, and peeked her head out to see the rebel side.

While much more numerous than the PSICOM force, the rebels were less experienced. More men were dying by the minute by PSICOM's hand. Superior technology played a factor as well, but the rebels large numbers still overwhelmed their enemy.

Her eyes went back to Myst. The armored woman had leaped off the side of the building and right into the fray of battle. Instead of casting spells, the Project shot cords of razorwire into her enemies, before pulling back. The weapon was brutal, meant to pull, tear, and rip the flesh right off the enemy while they were still alive.

Clearing the distance between the two, Fang charged into combat alongside Myst. A Ruinga spell was used to disperse the rebel forces cornering the Project. She collided into one the rebels, tackling him to the ground. Straddling him, she raised her spear above her head, ready to perform the killing blow. The look of fear in the man's eyes made Fang hesitate.

_I shouldn't be doing this! PSICOM is the enemy, these people are probably just fighting out of defense! They want to protect their home..._

_But Vanille...PSICOM has Vanille! I need to rescue her! I promised I would protect my family, and I'm not going to break that now. Vanille's all I have left!_

Her hesitation gave the man enough time to recuperate. Freeing his legs he kicked Fang off, getting into a crouched position, the man raised a pistol to her head.

"Die, Cocoon scum!"

The man pulled the trigger, but the bullet never connected. Four hooks of razorwire shot through the man's body, piercing through skin, muscle, and clothing alike. It was Project: Myst; four thin cords shot out from a gauntlet on her right arm. She pulled back, dragging the man kicking and screaming to join his dead brethren. The four trails of blood led up to a much larger puddle of blood where the dead body was.

Shaking her head, Fang got back into the mindset of fighting. She smirked, remembering how three years ago, PSICOM soldiers and Cocoon civilians would be saying something similar to her. It was ironic now, that the enemy was now Cocoon and not Pulse in the eyes of the people. She got back onto her feet, joining Myst by a pile of dead rebels.

The first thing Fang noticed about Myst was her height. Fang towered over Myst, the smaller Project coming only up to her chest. Her suit was the same design as Fang's except with a glowing green emanating from her helmet instead of Fang's cerulean.

Myst turned to Fang, sizing her up as well.

"Come on," she pointed a finger down a nearby street.

"We're probably needed elsewhere."

Myst started walking, without as much of an introduction. If Myst was supposed to be a girl, then Fang couldn't tell. With the helmet covering her face, her voice gave no clue to what sex Myst was. Fang followed from behind, taking one last look at the pile of dead rebels.

Catching up to Myst, Fang tapped her on the shoulder, getting the shorter girl's attention.

"What? There isn't much time to talk, Naga."

"Who are you?" Fang asked, when a better question didn't come to mind.

Myst sighed, flailing her arms in exaggeration.

"I'm Project: Myst, genius. You're Project: Naga. Our mission is to kill these guys so PSICOM can claim Paddra. Good? Okay, let's go."

Myst spoke fast, she sounded annoyed. Not one for much introduction either, Fang stepped in front of Myst again, blocking her path. Taking off her helmet, Fang shook her head.

"First off, you can call me Fang. But, I mean, what's your correlation with all this? Do you know what's going on?"

Myst sighed again. When she tried to move past Fang again, the taller woman blocked her path.

"You would have to talk to Blaze. He knows more than I do...By the way, where is Blaze? He was supposed to come with you."

Fang half-laughed at this, rubbing the back of her neck. How to explain?

"Blaze is uhh...Ummm...Blaze left to be on his own. But anyway, what's next?"

Fang moved out of the way, allowing Myst to take the lead. The shorter woman was certainly interesting. Trying to rush out of the conversation, and sounding like she didn't really want to be talking to Fang anyway.

"PSICOM is based at city hall, so we'll head there. Now before you go all talking again, I don't want to hear anymore questions from you."

Fang growled. She was getting annoyed now, if Myst and her were to be partners, Fang would probably kill her along the way.

_Okay, not being one for formalities is fine. But she won't be bossing me around! Time to see what's under that helmet..._

With a devilish smirk on her face, Fang tackled Myst onto the ground. Taking the smaller girl by surprise, Fang was easily able to restrain her arms through her superior strength. The girl writhed and bucked, but Fang remained on top. Dominant.

"Wha...Get off of me!" Myst struggled and continued to resist, but couldn't free herself.

"Now...Now that I've got you, let's take a little peak under that helmet, yeah?"

Fang pressed the button on Myst's neck, a jet of steam releasing from the armor. Pulling the helmet off and throwing it to the side, Fang gazed upon the face of Myst.

Myst's flawless snowy skin grew a rosy red. She was blushing while Fang looked at her, mouth agape. Her bright, sparkling emerald eyes were fixed on somewhere other than Fang. Her glossy lips formed a discomforted look, wanting the inspection to end. She tried shaking her head around, her bright red hair covering her eyes.

Fang shook her head violently and pulled Myst up on her feet. Her arms still on Myst's shoulders, Fang had a looked with disbelief at who she was looking at.

Her. She was her family. The one she promised to protect. The one who she had been friends with while everyone else made fun of her. The one she loved.

Vanille.

* * *

**A/N: Whew! Dramatic chapter! What is the fate of Lightning and C.H.E.S.S? Why is Vanille Project: Myst? Where was the pie I had promised in this chapter!**

**Oh, and another note...Chapters which featured Myst/Vanille had Vanille acting waaaaay out of character. It is all intentional, which you'll learn more about that when Part Two is released. :P**


	8. Chapter 7P2

**A/N: After one week, two mediocre one-shots and three cases of writers block, I have finally managed to present you Part Two of Chapter Seven.**

**Word Guide: Fang=Naga Blaze=Edgar Vanille=Myst**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the characters I have created.**

**Another thing I should tell you... I won't be making another chapter for awhile. I've decided to enter the Blizzard Writing Contest. (They made Warcraft, Diablo, and Starcraft, if you're unaware) I'll be posting an intermission chapter later.**

**Yes, there is song lyrics in this chapter. I know I know, I dislike them too. I don't necessarily like them, but I choose them for their potential to be funny. The story is filled with my lame brand of comedy. :P**

**Well, I suppose that's all I have to say for the note up here...there's one at the bottom, but read that when you're done with the chapter.**

**Enjoy!**

**Update: Fixed some of the grammar. I give thanks to the ever so kind, Lady Midday. **:P

**Awake**

**Chapter Seven: Paddra, Part Two**

* * *

"Hey isn't this easy? And you've got a smile that could light up this whole town."

_Ugh...Where's that sound coming from?_

"I haven't seen you in awhile, since she brought you down."

_Is that my phone?_

"You say you're fine, I know you better than that. Hey, whatcha' doing with a girl like that?"

_That is my phone. _

The song playing on Lightning's cell phone finished with a beep, the message sent to her voicemail. Opening her eyes, she saw that she was covered in rock and debris. While fighting PSICOM agents surrounding the building she and C.H.E.S.S were occupying, something crashed into them. The resulting explosion knocked Lightning out, and must've dealt enough damage to the surrounding area to destroy buildings. Lying in an awkward and uncomfortable position, Lightning found it hard to move the heavy objects trapping her. She was thankful that there were pockets of air and light in between the rocks, but the pain and pressure they were forcing onto her body was becoming unbearable. Without the energy or the strength to push the rocks and debris off her, Lightning could only groan out, hoping someone would find her.

Her desperate cry for help was answered, as moments later the bulky pressure straining her body was lifted, replaced with Rook's outstretched hand to help Lightning to her feet. Once she was standing up again, she had to use Rook to support her shaking and wobbly legs until he could lead her to a wall for proper support.

With the pain gone, exhaustion replaced it. The blast had taken more out of her than she thought. She assumed that whatever had crashed was closer than expected, resulting in a more powerful explosion and release of energy into the surroundings.

Sliding to the floor to sit, Lightning scanned the area around them. Pieces of rock, cement, and debris littered the street in messy and unorganized piles. Dust clouded the air, while shards of glass glimmered a myriad of different colors when light refracted off the surface. Across the street, the building had crumbled to the ground. All that remained of it was in a pile, with a small ship of some sort lying atop it.

Behind her, the building she and C.H.E.S.S had originally entered, was in better shape. The shock waves from the resulting blast had shattered all the windows and doors, but the building was still standing.

Next to a particularly large pile of rocks, Pawn sat rubbing his head. He seemed to be in better condition, Lightning thought, since Pawn had enough energy to take off his armor. The duffel bag that he typically wore was out of sight, probably trapped under the rubble.

Using Rook's gigantic hammer to help her onto her feet, Lightning slowly wobbled over to Pawn. Rook was at his side, by now, helping Pawn stand up as well. Before completely vanishing, a small smile formed on Lightning's lips. She was surprised at how strong Rook was, and how much the man was able to endure. Rook walked around, surveying the street, and making sure that no PSICOM or anyone else was there to investigate. Rook acted like the explosion hadn't really affected him; he was truly something else.

The ground began to shake, evidence that PSICOM, or some other force, was bombing a different section of Paddra. Columns of billowy smoke rose into the air, after more explosions and the sounds of buildings crashing to the ground rocked Lightning's ears.

In the midst of dusting herself off, and cleaning a particularly nasty stain of blood and dirt that was caked onto her soldiers uniform, Rook handed her a Potion and her Blazefire Saber, turning his head to say that he found the weapon lying somewhere away from Lightning. Sheathing the gunblade back in its proper case, Lightning raised the small vial of light blue liquid to her eyes. While normal Potions could be found at one of Pulse's many convenience or drug stores, or hospitals even, members of C.H.E.S.S were issued Potions of higher quality. Unscrewing the cap and putting the vial to her lips, Lightning downed the strange mix of sour and salty liquid. Despite a weird aftertaste, the odorless concoction had its purpose. Rejuvenating the body and mind, as well as providing a burst of energy. A feeling of numbness would be the only side effect, however most thought that it wasn't too bad. Feeling numb meant you couldn't feel pain. Ultimately, it was a soldiers drink, and the trio found themselves fresh and full of life again.

Now with the three of them awake, they began to wonder where Knight and Bishop were. They were all together when the ship had crashed into the building, so the blast couldn't of sent them that far.

"Pawn, where are Knight and Bishop?" Lightning asked, looking away to observe the crashed ship.

Up close, the ship was in a great state of disrepair. It seemed that when it was functional, it could seat four people. But the chairs were on the floor of the ship, and the wall that allowed Lightning to peer into the interior seemed to have been melted. If anyone had survived the crash, then they were gone by now, Lightning thought to herself. Brushing away a layer of dust covering an inscription on the exterior of the ship, Lightning read the brief sentence.

_Drop Pod #24, Project: Naga. _

Project: Naga?

Pouring through all the information she learned on PSICOM, nothing came to mind when she read the words again. She reasoned that over the three years without trouble from Cocoon, a new weapon was bound to have been created. Lightning thought back to armored creature she fought on the train. It was just another target, but what the thing actually said to her while on the train was what had feeling Lightning bothered.

"_The whispers of things unseen. A raging ocean, where Light cannot escape. Vast and endless, cold and deep. Where we find ourselves adrift. To follow instinct is to kill yourself and all that you love. They stick to the back of your mind. Change your thoughts, and you change your world. Unleash the hero. It is never to late to be what you might have been. When Lightning strikes, the world will tremble. When the thunder follows, none will stand before you. "_

What was it all supposed to mean?

No, it was probably just more smoke n' mirrors. Mind games to confuse her while the enemy got the upper hand. But, the fog had formed into something. Lighting swore she saw a woman in the fog. She didn't just see her, she _felt _her. She couldn't put her finger on it, but the woman felt familiar, yet Lightning couldn't seem to remember where she had seen the woman in the fog before. But the sparkling green eyes that the fog woman had was something Lightning knew she had seen before...

Shaking the thoughts out of her head, Lightning focused on the task at hand. First of all, where the hell were Knight and Bishop?

"Pawn! _Where_ are Knight and Bishop?" Lightning said, sounding more stern and demanding now.

She turned to see the short man looking at his now ripped and torn duffel bag. The contents inside were just a bunch of crushed electronics. Lightning could almost feel the tears running down the man's face.

"S-sorry! I was...Just mourning over Rebecca and Carlos."

Pawn frowned, and threw his duffel bag away with a sigh. Lightning still could find no reason as to why the man could get so attached to his equipment that he had to name each and every piece. Returning back to where Pawn and Rook were standing, Lightning pushed some rocks and debris away from the pile, searching for Knight and Bishop. Pawn tapped his right temple and blinked his right eye a few times, until the iris turned a bright gold.

"Enhanced Vision," he said, scanning the area around him.

"Essentially it's heat vision, but with a fifty feet radius. It should help us find the two lazy good-for-nothings."

Leaning up against the pile of stone, Lightning fished out her cell phone. Flipping it open, she saw the voicemail that was left after missing the call. Based off the bad ringtone, Lightning could immediately tell that it was Serah that had called her. She couldn't say no to her little sister, so Lightning allowed Serah to pick the ringtone.

"Hey Claire!" Serah's voice came out of the phone's speaker.

"Guess what? Snow and I finally moved into that house in New Bodhum we've been looking at! Isn't that great?"

_She called to tell me that! I thought I told her to call me only if it was an emergency when I'm on a mission._

"Yeah sis," Snow's voice came out the receiver now. "So when are you going to grace us with your presence? I know you got top secret military stuff but you gotta come by and check this place out! The fridge came fully stocked!"

_Idiot. _

"Well anyway, I'll see you soon, right? Bye, Claire!"

Thinking the message was over, Lightning went to press the delete key on her cell phone.

"Eek! Snow! Don't touch me there!"

_I am going to kill him..._

Lightning deleted the message and walked over to Pawn and Rook.

"Sorry, boss, no dice. I can't find them anywhere. Maybe the explosion sent them farther than we thought? One side of the road is completely blocked off by a toppled building, so it's highly possible that they're on the other side."

Lightning nodded, taking the lead and walking in the opposite direction.

"Good. Those two can handle themselves, but try to see if you can get in touch with them."

The three simply went off in a random direction, aimlessly venturing through the ruined city. The bombings continued in some other place, and Lightning assumed that PSICOM was planning on leveling the whole city.

_If they wanted to destroy the city, why didn't they simply go after the support structures?_

Paddra was rebuilt on top of a particularly large chasm, but if the columns of tough metal were to go, the entire city would fall into the abyss. Lightning still couldn't figure out how anyone could think it's a good idea to build a city where thousands of people lived above a massive ravine, with only a series of columns as the structural foundation.

"Dammit! It's all static, I'm not even getting a signal. I think PSICOM might have just launched an EMP or something."

Her cell phone was still working, but Lightning couldn't figure out why establishing a connection with Knight and Bishop wasn't possible. Nearing the heart of the city, Lightning pointed towards a building that towered over the others.

"It's a communications tower, we might be able to get something there."

The other two nodded, and Lightning peeked her head around to corner, before immediately moving back.

"There's PSICOM here. Lot's of 'em. I didn't get a good look, but they're all crowded around the city hall. That must be where they're based."

Lightning spoke in a whispered, hushed tone, and unsheathed her gunblade. The other two looked at the enemy based at city hall, before motioning back to Lightning.

"There's too many of them! There must've been hundreds of soldiers, we can't possibly take them out!"

Lightning went silent, letting her brain crank out another plan. First of all, they had to get across. Getting there unseen would be impossible, due to PSICOM's sheer numbers. A distraction maybe? Timing their actions with one of the bombings could work, with so much noise from the explosion, they might be able to get by, but it would have to be fast. She spied the broken windows on the communication tower, and her plan clicked together.

"Rook, you're going to throw me across the street into the communication tower."

When Lightning only got a confused stare from Rook, she sighed, and tried to explain.

"You're extremely strong, so if I get onto your hammer and you swing me, I'll fly right across too fast for any of them to notice."

Rook laid his hammer down, allowing Lightning to climb onto the flat edge of the weapon not used for fighting.

"Are you out of your mind? Rook needs some damn good aiming if you plan on just flying through one of those windows like it's a walk in the park!"

Lightning hushed Pawn, and showed him her Gravity Bomb. The small little device provided a small field of anti-gravity at the snap of a finger, quite literally. Reliable enough to work without using signals so it would be affected by the EMP, Lightning's Gravity Bomb was just what she needed, in case Rook's aim was off.

"Oh, well...Good luck I guess. Don't get yourself killed now. But what should we do, boss lady?"

"Stay hidden, and try to find us a few suits of armor that those PSICOM guys are wearing. I've got another plan."

Pawn nodded, and Lightning gripped the sides of Rook's hammer. After waiting a few moments, and testing the Gravity Bomb, the ground began to shake. Another building had been bombed.

Now was her chance.

Rook, with all his might, swung his mighty hammer in a wide arc, launching Lightning off. The man was stronger than she thought, as Lightning was flying through the air very fast. She crushed her arms and legs to her body, forming into a ball. She turned her head, to see the PSICOM based at city hall. A large stage was erected, where a man was there giving a speech to the troops.

Everything was going great, no one had noticed her yet. But Rook's aim was slightly off, leaving Lightning on a crash course into the face of the building, right below a window. But as her name implied, Lightning was quick. Seconds before impact she flicked on her Gravity Bomb, and a purple cloud of electricity enveloping her body. She was able to land on the wall with no damage done, and if PSICOM couldn't see her, then she'd even be able to walk on the wall.

Thoughts aside, Lightning slipped through the window and turned off her Gravity Bomb, hoping that no one had noticed the whole spectacle.

Fortunately, Lightning landed right where she needed to be. She was in a massive monitor room, and it was completely void of other people. Heading over towards the closest monitor, Lightning typed in Bishop's cell phone number. Her attempt to establish a connection with Bishop and Knight was slowed down, when the hourglass popped up.

_At least it's not that stupid paper clip..._

After a long time spent staring at the blank terminal, Bishop finally showed up on screen. Their conversation remained as brief as possible, a precautionary act in case PSICOM was tapping into the lines. They relayed brief bits of information. Knight and Bishop were fine, when the two had woken up, they found out that the road was completely blocked off, so they wandered around in search of Lightning, Rook, and Pawn.

Lightning told Bishop about her recent plan and her current location. It might have been nice to set up a rendezvous point at the communication tower, but with hordes of PSICOM nearby, it was smarter to meet up at a different, safer location.

"So, boss lady, what do you plan on doing now?" Bishop moved her cell phone around, so Lightning could catch a glimpse of where they were.

"Nearly all the civilians have been killed off, or escaped Paddra, so it's time we ran off too. I plan on grabbing some PSICOM uniforms so Rook, Pawn, and I can sneak out without much trouble."

Knight scratched the stubble on his chin, listening in on the conversation as well. Flashing his famous devilish grin, Knight clapped his hands together. The man had a plan.

"I'll think of a way for Bishop and I to get out. Don't worry 'bout us, we'll meet up with you one way or another."

Lightning nodded and said her goodbye. Turning off the monitor, she spied the other monitors around her.

While most had a simple blank screen, one screen caught her eye. The screen was focused on the PSICOM meeting outside. From what the camera was focusing on, Lightning could see rank after rank of soldiers standing before a large stage. The camera zoomed in on the staging grounds, where a tall man with wavy black hair stood before a podium. He was dressed in PSICOM's director gear, meaning that this man was the guy in charge.

The camera zoomed in once more, showing Lightning the man's sparkling azure eyes. To her, it seemed like the man was staring directly at her, a sinister intent hidden inside. She turned the volume knob up, and was able to catch the man's speech.

"Brave soldiers of the Public Security and Intelligence Command, I am Director Lucas Lynch. I must congratulate each and every one of you, for igniting a fire of the likes Pulse hasn't seen since the War of Transgression!"

The crowd of soldiers roared and cheered, ending their outburst with a loyal salute, before being silenced by Lucas.

"But, nothing comes without a price. Despite our victory here today, we have lost many to the Pulsian vermin that haunt these wretched lands. I promise you all, and for the sake of their mourning family and friends, that those who have fought and died in this battle will be honored as heroes. I ensure you all, that their deaths will not go in vain! Victory over Paddra is only the beginning! Soon, we will sweep over the land, razing and destroying everything in our path!"

_So this is what they're up to? They want to destroy everything on Pulse!_

"I know that many of you may view this as an act of genocide. But without our superior technology, numbers, and the power of the great fal'Cie Ark, Pulse would surely strike first! We lived our lives in fear of the world below while we sat in Cocoon. We were always afraid of the Pulsian menace. Well that ends today! It is time we take the initiative and take what is rightfully ours!"

The mass of soldiers erupted into cheers once again, providing more fuel to Lucas' insatiable thirst.

"My brave soldiers, you have successfully begun the second War of Transgression! With your help, the first step to winning this war is Operation: Spearhead."

_Another war? More conflict born out of the unknown. The fal'Cie must've really brainwashed them. But, how are the fal'Cie even alive? The others and I killed Orphan! Damn all these questions!_

"Operation: Spearhead is simple. I have been heading the top secret l'Cie manufacturing plants, and now I've successfully built six weapons that will ensure our victory! A fusion of man, machine, and fal'Cie magic, the Projects will lead you into the fight against the meager armies of Pulse! Lay your doubts to rest, as three Projects arrived mere hours ago to wipe the city out! Project: Naga, Project: Myst, and Project: Blaze have all—"

A woman in white and black armor tapped on Lucas' shoulder. There was whispered something that Lightning couldn't hear, even when she turned the volume up to its max.

Turning back to the podium, Lucas brushed a few strands of black hair from his eyes, and continued his speech.

"Apologies for the interruption, but I have received news of a band of enemy rebels that have proved to be more than a nuisance now."

_Could that be Knight and Bishop?_

"As I was saying, with the Project's under my command, we will expand, systematically taking over city after city until the Pulsian populace is wiped clean!"

_So that ship was carrying Project: Naga! But where did the other two land?_

"Now, I believe that you have all earned a long rest. With the help of all of you brave and extraordinary soldiers, we will fulfill the Master's Focus!"

Like before, the crowd of soldiers burst into cheers, guns raised high in the air, showing off their pride.

_PSICOM plans to wage an all-out war on Pulse, with these mysterious Project things leading them into battle! He said something about them being a l'Cie, so what is their Focus then? Most of all, who is the Master and his Focus? Bartholomew is going to drop a brick out of his ass once he hears this..._

"Now, to begin the city's final cleanup, I shall unveil another of our latest weapons. While you don't know much about the Projects, do know that many brave individuals volunteered to be a part of this. Unfortunately, many could not survive the experimentation. Those who had failed or died were turned into horrible mutations of their past selves, becoming something entirely new. The Rejected Ones, as they are now labeled, were those who could not become a Project. While not as powerful or as useful, they serve their purpose. These l'Cie are great weapons of war, and will follow any order due to their mindlessness. Leading the cleanup is someone you might have gotten to know, when he was in service three years ago."

_Great, more surprises? These guys sure came prepared._

"You will cleanup properly as ordered, correct?"

_What the hell is that?_

The last Cavalry commander walked on stage. His whole being seemed different. He moved as if he was controlled by some underlining force. His normally wavy brown hair was messy and tangled. His skin had turned a demonic maroon, with ripped muscles to the point of being grotesque covering his body. He stood a head taller than Lucas, and breathed in constant ragged gasps. Without clothes on, his body had a bark-like appearance. Standing beside Lucas, he simply remained there with his mouth open, a string of drool about to form.

The camera zoomed in on his forehead, causing Lightning to gasp.

_The mark of a l'Cie..._

An ornate, spiked wheel was branded right above his eyes. A red Cie'th eye, brighter than his skin, was fully open in the center. Tiny sparks of magic flowed from the eye to the rest of the mark and his body.

The man simply groaned in response, probably too far gone to have proper speech.

"Good dog, Rygdea."

* * *

After hiding in the communication tower for over an hour, whilst waiting for the PSICOM army to finally disperse, Lightning ultimately met up with Rook and Pawn back on the street.

The three could now walk the streets with a small sense of security. PSICOM was leaving, and there wasn't any sight of Rygdea and his Rejected Ones. Lightning told Pawn and Rook that she managed to contact Knight and Bishop, albeit their conversation had been rather brief, since PSICOM was nearby. She also described to the other two what she heard. Director Lucas Lynch was leading the army against Pulse, and he plans on waging a war. He plans on destroying each city, one by one.

Lightning kept the reason why, the Projects, the Rejected Ones, and this 'Master' he was talking about to herself. It was better if Pawn and Rook did not know everything. When the time was right, they would be able to understand. They wouldn't be able to take it all in stride. Lightning's plan was to get out of the city, so they couldn't be distracted by unknown threats.

While Lightning was away, Rook and Pawn had carried out their orders dutifully. They wandered off a little, in search of a group of soldiers that they could fight. They took them out nice and quiet, despite Rook's massive hammer. The next problem was stripping the PSICOM soldiers down, but also hiding the evidence. The three were lucky: Rook had carried the five dead bodies over to where they now stood, without a trail of blood.

"Throw the bodies in the dumpster once you strip them down of their armor and anything else that you deem useful. Take a suit that looks like it's in the best condition, we need a good disguise to get out of the city alive."

Rook nodded, tossing the five bodies into the nearby ugly green dumpster. Now that the bodies had been disposed of, it was time to wear their suits.

Unfortunately, Rook and Pawn couldn't find a female PSICOM officer, or soldier while on their trip, so Lightning would have to cross dress. It didn't really bother her, since it wasn't like the suit of armor was meant to look nice. Its purpose was to be practical, and ensure that each and every soldier would do their job properly and with enough protection.

Using a large bag that Rook and Pawn had taken from the soldiers when they killed them, Lightning strode into a darker corner in the alleyway. She was naked around other people before, but that was only with the other female Guardian Corps soldiers in the showers. While stripping down in front of two guys made her feel slightly uncomfortable, it would have to be done to complete the mission.

_If they even try to catch a glimpse of me, I'm going to shoot them._

She unstrapped her boots and placed them in the bag, removing her Blazefire Saber and her storage pack as well. Unclipping her cape came next. She placed the red cloth in the bag. After that came her necklace, and finally her soldiers uniform. She was left staring at the suit of armor in her light brown turtleneck and her skirt, until she decided to do things somewhat differently.

To keep her dignity intact, she would wear the PSICOM gear on, with her clothes underneath it. Things were going to be tight and uncomfortable, but it would be a sacrifice she'd be willing to make. The first layer of protection for a soldier in the army, the skintight jumpsuit, would have to go on first. Next came the steel-toed boots, and the torso and leg piece. Strapping the armor was a bit more difficult than she thought, but after a few moments of struggling, she had finally got the suit on.

_It's a tight fit, but it'll have to do. _

After putting the metal arm plates and gloves on, the only part of her body that showed skin was her face, but that wouldn't be for long. Lightning took the helmet typical soldiers are issued, placed it on, and locked it into place with the rest of her suit. The suit of armor was now airtight, and was actually functioning.

She smirked to herself, wondering what she had looked like now that she was a PSICOM soldier. She turned around, sliding the bag that held her clothes inside over her shoulder. Pawn and Rook stood before her, fully geared as well.

The sight in front of her was a little humorous. Pawn was short, so the armor he was wearing was much bigger than what he would've liked. All three of them were dressed looking slightly awkward.

The trio walked out of the alleyway, and back onto the street. As usual, Lightning took lead while Rook stayed in the back. While not exactly having to, Rook, Pawn, and Lightning stealthily walked through the city streets.

"So, boss lady, what's the plan? We leaving the city?" Pawn asked.

She didn't turn, but kept going in stride. Her gunblade was at the ready, they might have to fight a few soldiers to get out safely.

"Yeah," she nodded. "We're going to leave Paddra, and meet up with Knight and Bishop. They're going to find their own way out, since we're separated. If we could get a map of the city, then we wouldn't have to walk through the city aimlessly block after block, hoping we get lucky."

Pawn sighed. While he wasn't one to say that he disapproved of Lightning's plan, he didn't exactly take pride in running away with his tail between his legs. They failed in trying to take back the city, but they were late to arrive to begin with. PSICOM had them greatly outnumbered, and outgunned, so even attempting to fight back would be arduously long.

Thousands of innocents had been killed, or worse, captured. He shuddered at the thought of what could be happening to them. Slavery? Experimentation? The worst thing in his opinion would be that those who were captured here would be sent to the front lines, to be killed by their own people.

Lightning stopped abruptly, raising her hand to signal everyone to remain quiet.

"-I told you for the last time! My name is Myst!"

Lightning turned towards the others, whispering to Rook and Pawn that they were just going to walk by and play it cool. If they were lucky, they wouldn't have to fight.

The three, disguised as PSICOM soldiers continued walking down the street, when two armored figures turned the corner, stopping when they noticed Lightning, Rook, and Pawn.

Both of them were in armor with a different design than the typical PSICOM soldier gear. It wasn't gear for the elites either Lightning noted, having fought an Executor only a few hours ago. The one on the right was much taller than the one on the left. Both were clad in full black armor. The taller one had cerulean trim along her knees, forearms, and ribs. The three horizontal parallel lines also gave off a similar cerulean glow. The shorter one on the left, was designed similarly. Completely black armor, and no skin showing at all. The shorter one had a light green trim along her knees, forearms, and ribs. The lines on her helmet also glowed a light green.

The shorter one had a gauntlet on both arms, and four whip-like cords attached to its right hand. The left hand gauntlet had a sort of launcher armature attached to it. The taller one had a long red spear across its back. She couldn't recognize either one of them, but the shorter one looked familiar.

After a few moments of both groups just staring at the other, the shorter one punched the air with its left hand, the launcher shooting out a thin cord with a ball on each end. The projectile hit Pawn, wrapping around his wrists and ankles, causing him to drop to the floor.

_Here we go again. _

_

* * *

_

"Vanille?"

Fang spoke, her words barely audible.

Standing before her, in the war torn city of Paddra, was Vanille. Fang felt her heart flutter with joy and relief. She had finally found her family. Her friend. The one she loved. She found Vanille! With an unnatural born speed, Fang embraced Vanille tighter than she ever had before. She held Vanille close to her heart, both figuratively and literally. Fang's hands ran over her back, missing the feel of her companion.

Her face was buried in Vanille's hair, a slow trickle of tears beginning to dampen the auburn tresses. She breathed in Vanille's familiar scent, the sweet earthy smell of Gran Pulse's untamed wilderness clouding her mind. It had only been a few days or a few years, depending on how you counted, but Fang held her close as if she would somehow slip between her fingers if her hold loosened.

Fang had missed Vanille dearly, but was glad that she was here now so Fang could watch over her. To hold her. To protect her. Vanille was everything to her. Without Vanille, the world just didn't seem right anymore.

She held the smaller girl tighter, muttering an endless stream of _thank you, thank you, thank you, _until her breath ran out. Twice now she had let Vanille slip from her fingers, so Fang promised herself that she would never let it happen again. She was too important to her. The flood gates opened wide, and Fang's emotions poured into Vanille, conveying how much she had felt about her.

The dreams she was having left Fang scared. She was scared and confused about Vanille's fate. She had told Fang to wake up, and the woman did, following aimlessly after her until the light became blinding. But when Fang woke up, the world wasn't how it should have been. Vanille was gone, replaced by the mist, and left haunted by cryptic messages while she was asleep.

Fang had ignored everything else. She would find Vanille, wherever she was. With Vanille to focus on, with Vanille to protect, Fang can forge the anger and the hate that she has for Cocoon, for the fal'Cie, and the man who took Vanille away from her, into something worthwhile.

Into something that's going to keep Vanille safe, no matter the cost.

"Curse you...Making me worry so much." she whispered into Vanille's ear, keeping her close while the tears ran down her cheeks.

But Vanille did not hug back.

She did not return the emotions, the tears wept, or the words said.

Vanille stood there, doing nothing.

Fang closed her eyes, and pressed her lips to Vanille's forehead. It had been too long since she had touched her. Held her. Kissed her. In her mind, Fang was back inside the fog filled chamber. But now, the fog was disappearing. It was slow, but noticeable, and Fang began to laugh and smile and cry. She held her world in her arms, and as the fog cleared, only a blank nothingness remained.

In her mind, it was just Fang and Vanille, together at last. Fang loved Vanille, and Vanille loved Fang. Everything was out in the open, and the two lay nude together. With Vanille on top of Fang, the two fit together as if they were both chiseled from the same stone. In the blank, white nothingness around them, where Vanille could finally feel safe in Fang's arms, their promises would be fulfilled, oaths kept, and lies forgiven. It would be perfect for them, with only each other to care about. Where Vanille would stay on top of Fang, their hands held tight together, and listening to each others heartbeat, and when they both were warm and sticky and sated, Vanille would tell Fang those three little words.

But it never comes.

Back in reality, Vanille pushed Fang away, leaving the embrace Fang never really wanted to end.

"Are we done with inspection, Naga? Come on, we've got a job to do."

_Wait, what?_

"What did you say, Vanille?"

The red head groaned in protest, but kept walking. Fang slowly trailed behind, a mix of joy, confusion, suspicion, and dread hung over her. Something didn't feel right.

"I thought I told you: no more questions, okay? Now let's go, Naga, we need to make it to city hall."

Fang rushed to catch up, but her legs wouldn't go faster. Vanille wasn't acting like herself. There was no melodic tune that she hummed, no carefree feeling or dance in her step. There was no kindness in her voice that Fang was accustomed to. No love.

Nothing, just a blank nothingness.

"But, Vanille, wha-"

"And stop calling me Vanille. My name is Myst."

What was going on? Fang felt the strength in her legs return, rushing over to Vanille and grabbing her by the shoulders.

"Vanille, what's going on with you?"

She spoke with concern and doubt in her eyes, but Fang felt like she already knew the answer was coming.

"H-hey! Get off me! And my name is not Vanille! It's Myst!"

Vanille attempted to brush Fang away, but Fang was to strong for her. Fang's eyes drilled into her, desperately looking for a reason. Why is Vanille acting so very different? Why is she treating Fang differently?

"Vanille, what's wrong? Don't you remember? It's me, Fang."

She tried shaking her to get her point across. But Vanille remained firm and unyielding.

"What do you mean, remember? We just met and I hardly know you! All I know is that you're name is Naga, and that you're a Project, like me, and my name is not Vanille!"

Fang was getting angry now. Something happened to Vanille. Her forehead touched Vanille's, eyes searching the other. Fang's thoughts turned to Cocoon and the holding cell. She flashed back to the video she was shown of Vanille being tortured, of Fang's brand on her torso. She remembered what Blaze had told her, how he got a chance to speak with Vanille before she left. Once those memories had resurfaced, Fang put to and too together. Blaze told her that only three Projects were made in the facility they were kept imprisoned in! How could she be so blind as to not figure out that Vanille was the third Project?

"No you're not, Vanille!" Fang shook her again.

"You were born on Pulse, over five-hundred years ago. We lived in Oerba together, in the old orphanage, remember? We're friends, Vanille! We grew up together, and you even followed me to Anima's temple to become a l'Cie!"

Vanille scoffed at Fang's words and rolled her eyes.

"What a load of bull. I was born in Eden, as an only child. I accelerated academically, and graduated at the top of my class in Eden University. When the four l'Cie scum from this hell hole invaded Cocoon, I joined PSICOM, and became a Project."

_They wiped her memory, and replaced it with a fake one...?_

"Come on, Vanille! It's me, Fang! We've been friends since I was eight years old. We were close, Vanille. I love you, don't you have any feelings back?"

Vanille sighed, and Fang let her go. But Vanille remained in front of Fang, the two sharing the same bewildered look.

"Woah, there, I don't swing that way, sister. Sorry but, I think you've got the wrong person."

Fang felt her heart break. Into tiny. Little. Pieces.

She had heard this from Vanille before, back in a dream, but Fang couldn't bear to hear those words coming from the actual person. The whole world shut off, for a moment, and Fang could feel her brand encompassing her in a fire she couldn't escape.

* * *

"_I must give you my thanks, Edgar. You have shown me that my Projects are ready for their Focus."_

_The world lit up in a vast array of explosions. Flashing images swirled around. _

_Soldiers, Pulsian and PSICOM alike. Great herds of Behemoths. Rivers of blood. The black angry sky turned a sick blue, massive storm clouds collided onto each other. Lightning discharged onto massive armies fighting. A wide plain was lit ablaze with fire. Dead bodies littered the battlefield. The sky rippled and moved, a raging ocean. Titan and Atomos. Out of Cocoon's shell, an airship sailed over the battlefield. Ark. A projectile of pure energy shot out of the airship. The sky began to rip and tear itself apart. Space and Time themselves pulling apart at the seems. _

_A portal from dimensions unknown opened, and out came the beasts. A silver steel mechanical creature exited from the portal, four spider-like legs emerging from its sides. With no head, the central body was dominated by a large, yellow, pupil-less eye. The beast let loose a barrage of missiles, lasers, and other means of death upon the fighting combatants below. All were defenseless against the great mechanical metal monstrosity. The roiling skies let loose a vile beast without a soul._

_The second beast escaped from the portal, closing the dimensional rift. It collided into first beast. The two clashed in the air. A massive coiling dragon of living metal fought the spider-like robot, the two simply destroying more of the land around them. The armies warring against each below began to dwindle, their numbers lessening against the assault from the spider-like robot and the great metal dragon._

_Again, a second projectile of pure energy was launched into the area. The raging skies repeating what had happened before. The sky swelled and swirled and came apart. The portal to the Void once again borne into existence. A man wielding a halberd stood alone on the battlefield, his gray complexion a stark contrast to his reddish orange armor._

_And then, the world returned to its darkness._

_

* * *

_

Fang's eyes shot open, she was lying on the ground. She couldn't get her fingers to stop trembling, or her legs to stop shaking, but she got back onto her feet. Looking ahead, Vanille was starting to get back up to.

_My head hurts..._

Limping over to Vanille, Fang used her weight to support the girl, who was having a harder time standing up than she was.

"You alright?" Fang asked, feeling like she was about to throw up.

Vanille nodded and began to walk on her own. Putting her helmet back on, she ushered Fang to pick up the pace.

_I'll get my answers soon..._

Placing her helmet back on, Fang caught up to Vanille. The two walked silently through even quieter city streets. They could hear buildings being bombed in the distance, but they were too far away to be of much concern.

Fang could sense the awkwardness growing between the two. With Vanille acting like a completely different person, Fang didn't really know how to start a conversation with her now.

"So, we're heading for city hall, right Vanille?"

As they were about to round a corner, Vanille stopped. She turned on her heel and jabbed a finger into Fang's metal-plated stomach. Growling a bit, she stood up on her tippy toes to look taller and more intimidating.

"I told you for the last time! My name is Myst!"

Fang simply ignored the response and kept on walking, making Vanille even angrier. Turning the corner, they stopped dead in their tracks, staring at three PSICOM soldiers in their way. A smirk formed on her lips, sizing up the three before her.

The three looked very strange together, Fang thought. There was an extremely short man, probably Vanille's height, whose armor looked to big for him. In the back, there was an extremely tall man, wielding a gigantic hammer. The soldier in the center looked fairly normal, if not a little shorter than the average soldier.

* * *

"_Researching Enemy Profile..."_

_Target Acquired: 'Lightning' Claire Farron. Codenamed: Queen._

_Target Acquired: Alan Noel. Codenamed: Pawn._

_Target Acquired: Rhode Norman. Codenamed: Rook._

"_Initiating Myst attack sequence..."_

* * *

The two groups stared at each other for a moment, neither one budging. But suddenly Vanille punched the air with her left arm, her gauntlet launching a thin razor wire cord with a ball attached on each end towards the three. It hit the smallest soldier perfectly, restraining his wrists and ankles, and making him collapse to the ground.

Fang was having difficulty processing what was just happening. She didn't know why or what made Vanille attack those three PSICOM soldiers, but they didn't seem to falter once the shortest one was dispatched. To Fang, it seemed like they were expecting a fight. Regardless, now wasn't the time to ponder why she and Vanille are attacking them. The two remaining soldiers brandished their weapons, a gunblade and a hammer, and were already poised to strike back.

The large, hammer-wielding man lunged forward, swinging the weapon in a downward strike at Vanille. Quick to react, Fang leapt in front of Vanille. Raising her left arm, as if to deflect the crushing blow simply by that, Fang drew energy from her brand. A scaled down version of her Inertial Barrier spell formed around that arm, a series of transparent hexagonal tiles blocking the hammer-wielding man's attack. The hammer bounced off Fang, as harmless as a warm summer breeze, but the impact of attack sent her to her knees.

Vanille seemed to act of her own accord. Taking the man's slight lapse in attention after watching his attack being deflected, she moved away from her original position behind Fang. Widening the gap between her and the hammer-wielding man, Vanille ran over towards the street's sidewalk. Using her right gauntlet this time, she shot out her four whip-like cords of razor wire at the man.

The attack stuck, a hook imbedded in each of his shoulders and two in his torso. The weapon wasn't made for messy kills, leaving Fang, Vanille, and the two soldiers unaware if her weapon actually caused any lethal damage. An attack from her right gauntlet worked in two steps. The first step involved the four cords attaching themselves to it's target, while the second step would entail those four cords dragging the target back to the gauntlet.

Due to the hammer-wielding man's size and weight, Vanille was struggling with the second step in her attack. She was simply to weak to drag a man like that. Just as Fang thought that the gunblade soldier wouldn't fight, she saw the person slide under the cords. During the action, the soldier used the gunblade to cut the cords, freeing the hammer-wielding soldier. Once the gunblade soldier came into striking range, Fang thrusted her spear at the soldier, while breaking the lower section of her spear to slice through the hammer-wielding man standing above her.

Her stab was swiftly evaded, but her attack on the soldier next to her made a nice gash on the side of his torso. Now free from his restraints, the hammer-wielding man slammed his shoulder into Fang, knocking her towards the gunblade soldier. She got back onto her feet just in time, blocking the sword inches away from her face.

Leaping backwards, the soldier switched her weapon into its gun transformation. Pressing her arms together, Fang formed another smaller Inertial Barrier to block the oncoming hail of gunfire. The bullets never came, and Fang opened her arms to see the gunblade soldier swinging in a wide arc across her torso. She ignored the burning pain, the leaking blood, and the weakness in her legs.

After the sword left her body, Fang grabbed the soldier's arm with her hand, using her other arm to elbow the soldier's face. Keeping her grip on the soldier, Fang used her free hand to grab her spear. She thrusted her spear at the soldier's back, only to once again graze the person's side, after the soldier escaped Fang's grip and avoided the death blow.

The gunblade soldier charged Fang, tackling her to the ground and pinning her there. She wasn't able to free herself. Her arms were kept down on the ground, trapped under the soldiers boots. The soldier was straddling Fang's waist, and the soldier's gunblade was pointed directly at Fang's forehead, finger on the trigger.

* * *

Lightning kept the spear-wielding armored woman pinned beneath her. She kept her gun right on the woman's forehead, her finger lightly tapping the trigger. While surprised at the sudden attack from the shorter woman, she could still hold her own in a fight. Later on, she'd have to scold Pawn for being captured so quickly.

_By the way, where did he go?_

Looking around would easily solve that question, but she kept her eyes steady on the woman below her. The woman was a good fighter, and would take advantage of Lightning when she would be distracted. While unable to hear the woman's voice, or see what she looks like under the armor, the fighting style and the weapon she was wielding was a dead giveaway. She was fighting Fang. Or at least, someone who used spears and fought like her. Lightning assumed it was more likely the latter.

Either way, she and the smaller armored woman had attacked her first. The smaller woman was fighting to kill. If it was Fang, then Lightning would keep her alive. But, a target was a target after all, she would still have to subdue her.

Lightning remained on top of the struggling woman. She had won the fight, able to kill her with just a pull of the trigger. But her opponent remained steadfast. For a moment, the woman below her stopped moving, and Lightning mentally breathed a sigh of relief.

_At least she knows when she's lost._

The woman didn't remain still for long. Lightning heard the grunting sound from Rook's mouth, exerting a lot of force with his next attack. Lightning could hear the hammer slamming into the smaller woman, her body falling to the street with a thump.

"Vanille!"

The woman below her glowed a vibrant, angry hue of blue, and an explosion of energy erupted from her body. Lightning and Rook were sent flying a short distance away from the spear-wielding woman. Lightning's helmet flew off somewhere once the blast hit her.

By now, Lightning's suspicions were confirmed. She was fighting Fang, and apparently Rook was fighting Vanille. Turning her head to look at Vanille, the woman was on the ground and unresponsive. Lightning assumed that Rook's last attack hit her right on the head, leaving Vanille unconscious, or dead.

Fang was on her feet in an instant, immediately at Vanille's side. Fang took off her own helmet, and then Vanille's. Cradling Vanille's face in her hands, Fang held her close, murmuring something Lightning couldn't hear.

Lighting and Rook stood up as well, Rook giving Lightning a confused look.

"Go look for Pawn, I'll handle these two." Rook nodded and ran off in search of the short man.

Striding closer to Fang and Vanille, yet still keeping her distance, Lightning opened her mouth to speak. Her words were lost over the sounds of the roaring engine of a small airship. The wind gusted all around her, blowing her hair this way and that.

"We've known each other, for so long. Your hearts been aching, but you're too shy to say it!"

Lightning looked up, and really wished she hadn't.

Knight and Bishop. In an airship. Singing, and worst of all: waving their hands out the windows of the plane.

"Inside we both know, whats been going on. We know the game, and we're, gonna play it!"

Lightning hid her face in her palm, really wishing that she had been able to choose the soldiers that she led in C.H.E.S.S. She looked back to Fang and Vanille, her face twisting into an awkward smile mixed with concern for Vanille. Fang was holding her bridal style, with Vanille's limp head cradled by Fang's arm. There was blood.

"And, if you ask me how I'm feeling, don't tell me you're too blind to see!"

Fang looked up at the small airship for a moment, and then looked back at Lightning.

"Nice friends you got there." Fang spoke, but her words came out shaky.

"Is she going to be alright?" Lightning asked, pulling out a Potion from a storage pack.

Fang nodded solemnly, a mix of fear and doubt in her eyes. She was fighting back tears.

"Yeah, she's breathing alright. Mind giving us a lift?"

By now, Rook and Pawn had returned. Lightning could hear Pawn laughing, listening in on the song Knight and Bishop were singing. With Fang and Vanille right before her eyes, questions flooded her mind. But they weren't important now, PSICOM was still bombing the city. When they left, the whole city would be gone too. Lightning sighed and nodded no.

"Sorry, but you're going to have to be on your own. I don't know how you two are here, or what's going on, but it would be best if Pulse didn't know of your current existence."

Fang rolled her eyes.

"Wow, thanks, Light. Vanille and I save the world, and you only pay me back with a sword to the gut? Why, I feel honored by your gift." she tried to bow, but found it difficult with Vanille unconscious in her arms.

A rope ladder was swung down from the plane, allowing Rook and Pawn to climb into the small airship Knight was piloting.

"So what's next for you?" Lighting asked, hands tugging on the rope ladder.

"I have no damn clue. I'm probably going to leave the city with Vanille." Lightning nodded, handing Fang the Potion.

"But don't miss me now, ya hear? We'll meet again."

Fang laughed, turned, and began her trek out of the city. With PSICOM evacuating the city, Fang would only have to deal with those Rejected Ones, Lightning thought. Fang's tough, she would be able to handle leaving the city.

After Lightning was safely fastened into her seat inside the airship, Knight quickly took off. As the song he and Bishop were singing ended, Fang and Vanille disappeared inside the ruined concrete jungle of Paddra.

This trip to Paddra seemed almost too much for her. There would be so much she had to report back to Bartholomew, yet...many of the things she heard would be best left to herself. It would be best if Bartholomew knew that PSICOM was planning on declaring war, but there was a few things even he didn't need to hear. The news of Fang and Vanille's existence would remain a secret.

She was actually happy that Fang and Vanille had returned. Deep down, she really did miss the two after their departure sunk in.

It seemed that what Hope, Snow, Sazh, and even herself used to dream about only weeks after Cocoon turned to crystal had come true. Fang and Vanille are back! But the celebration would have to be postponed. A war was brewing between Pulse and Cocoon, and Pulse didn't even know it. Paddra was lost, and PSICOM will be moving to another city. PSICOM has a working fal'Cie, Ark, and has created strange weapons of war.

And then, something clicked inside her.

_Vanille is Project: Myst. Which means Fang is either Naga or Blaze. _

Lightning didn't like it, but she faced the grim truth. Fang and Vanille are enemies now.

Lightning truly wished her dreams hadn't become a reality.

**End of Act I**

* * *

**Okay, I probably don't know what you're thinking right now, but I'll answer a question I'm sure one of you has on your mind.**

**First off: Why the hell were Fang and Vanille fighting Lightning? Well, take a look back at Chapter 5, and read Myst's section. Everything should click together after that. If not well, simply message me and I'll clear things up for you.**

**Second: Why are you bad at conveying emotions? Well, I'm an emotionless husk of a semi-human and near-insane being. I can't possibly help myself be emotional, even if I tried.**


	9. Intermission 1

**Update: Fixed some grammatical errors for Chapter Seven, Part Two, and added a new section onto the Intermission. Scroll down to check it out. **

**Sorry if a lot of you expected a new chapter. XD**

**Chapter Eight is off the cell phone and onto the paper, so expect that to be released sometime next weekend. The one-shot I'm in the middle of will also be finished in the next few days. I've been busy lately, which is why I haven't finished it sooner. **

Awake

Intermission

* * *

Hey everyone. First of all, let me thank each and everyone one of you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and subscribing to this story. It means a lot to me that many people out there like my work, despite it being my first fanfic, and first story since I've written since 8th grade.

Secondly, this 'chapter' if you'd like to call it that, is by no means an actual chapter. It's simply an intermission between Act I and Act II of this story. This intermission has no dialogue, no plot, no characters, etc. While what I have to say below is not advancing the story in anyway, the intermission acts as a refresher for you, and myself. Like I've said before, I've decided to cast my lot in the Blizzard Writing Contest, so I may or may not be updating this story, or making another story, in quite some time.

Now...since this here is pretty much just me ranting on about a few things, I'll answer the one question most people have on their minds when they had first read my story.

_Random Reader #24, right after reading Chapter 1: What the hell is going on? I don't understand a thing!_

_Journey: Chapter 1 was all a dream. A vision maybe, of things to happen in the future? Possibly. _

Here's another question I'm sure most of you had on your minds.

_Random Reader #24: What are the pairings for this story?_

_Journey: Well, let me first say that Awake does not center around a romance plot. There won't be any smut in the future chapters, and I don't think I'll be reconsidering that. I simply don't believe I have to skill to write something like that yet, and have it actually be something good to read. That in mind, if knowing the pairings for this story means that much to you, I'll tell you the pairings right now..._

Lightning: Loveless. (D'awww :'(. Yup, I have no plans for Lightning to be in a relationship.)

Serah will be with Snow. (Obviously.)

Hope: Loveless. (However he might be looking for a girlfriend...)

Sazh: Loveless. (He won't even appear until late in the story anyway.)

Pawn: Loveless.

Rook: Loveless.

Knight and Bishop will be together. (However nothing special will really happen between them.)

Team NORA: Loveless. (This means all of them. However Lebreau will be charming all the ladies.)

Blaze: Loveless. (He just isn't the kind of person to do those kinda things. But he's got Lucy, and Lucy's got him.)

_And the two most important characters..._

Fang and Vanille's relationship will remain a mystery. These two won't be having a relationship with any other characters though. They might be together, they might not. Who knows? I do. :P

I can't exactly think of anything else at the moment, so if there's a question you want answered, feel free to pm me or review the chapter, I'll respond either way.

Random Fact #24: I originally had Team NORA in mind to hang around with Lightning in Chapters 4 and 7. However I felt that Team NORA wouldn't be the type of group that would become an elite military force, so I came up with C.H.E.S.S. The acronym (CHemically Enhanced Super Soldier) took me forever to think of.

Since I plan on having this Intermission to be a good placeholder for my thoughts on the story, so I'd be able to pick up right where I left off, I'll type up a brief synopsis of Act I.

Awake

Act 1: Dreaming Into Reality

The story begins in a dream. Fang opens her eyes to see herself on Gran Pulse, with Vanille. While nothing major happens in the first chapter of the story, Fang is told by Vanille to wake up. After witnessing Cocoon encased in crystal right before her eyes, being surrounded by darkness, and falling out of the sky, Fang somehow gains the courage to tell Vanille that she loves her. However, for some strange reason, Fang slowly starts to transform into a Cie'th, while Vanille fades away. The last thing Fang hears before completing her transformation into a Cie'th is to wake up. In a sense, this is Vanille helping Fang de-crystallize the same way Lightning, Snow, Serah, Dajh, Sazh, and Hope did.

In Chapter 2, Fang wakes up in the holding cell. She thinks she is completely alone, since the holding cell is dead quiet. She discovers that her spear, sari, and jewelry have disappeared. Her tattoo, and her l'Cie brand are gone as well. Most importantly though, Vanille is nowhere to be found. After what feels like hours bound in chains, Fang kills time by whistling. To her shock, she finds out that she wasn't alone after all. While she can't see him, or feel him, the stranger introduces himself as a man named Blaze. He tells Fang that they're alike. They're both l'Cie.

In Chapter 3, Fang explains to Blaze about what a l'Cie is, what a fal'Cie is, and becoming a Cie'th. In return, Blaze tells Fang that he actually got a chance to talk with Vanille, before she was carted away into the unknown. Near the end of the chapter, Fang freaks out after hearing Blaze talk about Vanille. She starts to glow many different colors, resulting in Blaze having to light her on fire. Blaze also tells Fang about the mysterious Projects, and names the six of them. In biological age order: Blaze, Terra, Naga, Geist, Myst, and Genesis. After this, Fang falls asleep.

Chapter 4 breaks off the main path and reintroduces Lightning to the story. This chapter also introduces us to the members of C.H.E.S.S (CHemically Enhanced Super Soldiers) Rook, Pawn, Knight, and Bishop. C.H.E.S.S are the A-Team of FF13. They're the best of the best and really know how to kick ass. The human survivors have learned to adapt, survive, and thrive on Pulse. They've expanded into many city-states. Oerba, New Bodhum, and New Nautilus forming their own small nation, while Paddra and Haerri have formed their own nation. However relations between Paddra and Oerba have grown weak, and C.H.E.S.S was sent to 'persuade' them into reopening their doors to trade. Over the three years, they haven't been threatened by PSICOM, in reality, they didn't even know anyone was living up in Cocoon. They investigate a broken down, abandoned train. On the train, Lightning and Rook split away from Knight and Bishop who went to look for an injured Pawn. Lighting is swallowed up in the fog, and receives a startling message. She also see's, and is kissed by a mysterious woman in the fog. The fog woman seemed familiar, but Lightning couldn't discern who it was. Right as she leaves the fog, Lightning is attacked by the mysterious Project: Myst. As the chapter comes to a close, Fang has another dream. Fang finally tells Vanille that she loves her, yet Vanille coldly rejects her.

Chapter 5 opens up to Project: Myst, who deletes her memory of nearly everything she knows, including her memories of Fang and herself. In response she installs a PSICOM made memory which she now goes by. Blaze also has his turn to narrate. Lucy is also introduced. Fang wakes up again, and Dr. Kacey, Maria and Lucas Lynch are all introduced. Fang is shown a video of Vanille being tortured, and is proposed a deal. Fang joins PSICOM as Project: Naga, and see's Blaze for the first time. When she falls asleep for testing, Fang experiences another dream. Fang see's a train moving in reverse go into a city in the distance. She also see's an armored figure climb out of a ravine. When Fang asks Vanille why she doesn't love her, Vanille responds: "I died, Fang. But that's not the worst part. You killed me."

Chapter 6 begins with Fang in the training facility. After receiving her old spear, PSICOM tells her that they've made a few 'modifications' to the weapon. By modifications, they mean that they made the blades so sharp that it could cut metal like warm butter. Fang also learns that she can use a new power, Inertial Barrier, along with Ruin. When the story shifts to Blaze, we learn more about what his powers and his brands. Also, we learn a little bit more about Lucy. As the chapter ends, Blaze escapes from the drop pod, and summons Lucy, which leaves Fang spiraling down to Paddra.

In Chapter 7, Lightning and C.H.E.S.S have arrived in Paddra. However, they're too late. Paddra is under siege, and what ragtag forces the Pulsians managed to bring together are being killed, or captured at every battle. Caught in their own battle, Lightning and C.H.E.S.S fight against nearly a dozen PSICOM soldiers, an Executor, and a Beta Behemoth. Their fight is cut short, as Fang in her drop pod crashes into a nearby building, killing nearly all the enemy soldiers and knocking out Lightning and C.H.E.S.S due to the resulting explosion. When Fang wakes up, she wanders aimlessly through Paddra, until the fog begins to cloud her mind. After receiving her own version of Lightning's cryptic message, Fang runs out of the fog. She finds herself in the middle of a firefight between PSICOM and the Paddran Army. With the help of Project: Myst, it and Fang wipe out the Pulsians. The two separate from the rest of the PSICOM army, and head to city hall. As part one closes, Fang takes off Myst's mask, revealing Project: Myst to be Vanille, the third Project along with Fang and Blaze.

When Part Two begins, Lightning, Rook, and Pawn wake up hours after the explosion. They find themselves cut off from Knight and Bishop, and make their own way to city hall, where PSICOM is based. Lightning enters a communications tower, and listens in on the speech that PSICOM is holding nearby. She learns that the man behind everything is Lucas Lynch. He reveals his plan, to spread his army out and take over each city, one by one. He plans on using the Projects to aid him in Operation: Spearhead, and talks about a 'Master' and his Focus. Lucas also unveils his failed creation, the Rejected Ones. They're failed Projects, monstrous Cie'th hybrids led by Rygdea. Leaving the tower, Lightning, Rook, and Pawn dress up as PSICOM soldiers in order to sneak out of the city. In their attempt to escape, they run into two mysterious armored women.

Switching to Fang's point of view, time rewinds a little bit. She talks with Vanille, but figures out that somehow, she lost her memory, and has a new one implanted. Heartbroken and rejected, Fang carries on. She still has plans to protect Vanille and get her out of the city, even if she doesn't know who Fang is anymore. During their walk to city hall, Fang and Vanille collapse to the ground as their Focus is being revealed to them. Later, they encounter three soldiers. Vanille surprisingly initiates combat, incapacitating the smallest one, Pawn, first. Vanille and Fang fight, until the hammer-wielding soldier hits Vanille right on the head, leaving her unconscious. Seeing Vanille fall, Fang's brand glows a bright blue, before exploding. The burst of energy sent Rook and Lightning flying. With her helmet gone, Lightning walks over to Fang and Vanille, whose helmets are also gone. Fang and Lightning share a brief few words before parting. Fang leaves the city with Vanille, while Lightning reunites with all the members of C.H.E.S.S and flies out of the city.

End of Act I

* * *

Random Fact: Chapter 6, _Powers Reborn,_ was originally supposed to be titled: Bitter Work. That roughly translates into Kung Fu.

Here's a brief little character description of the major characters that have been revealed thus far...

**Oerba Yun Fang:** In Awake, Fang begins the story in the holding cell. She has been labeled as Project: Naga, grouped up with Project: Myst and Project: Blaze. Fang's purpose in the first act is to look for Vanille. Her spear has been enhanced by PSICOM to be able to cut even the strongest material with relative ease. Her brand is a spiked wheel in a clock formation. By the end of Act I, a black filled circle has appeared over the 12 o' clock, 11 o' clock, and 1 o' clock spikes. Her suit if armor is completely black, covering her body completely. Cerulean trim is around her knees, forearms, and ribs. The three horizontal parallel lines on her helmet also glow cerulean. She has learned to use Inertial Barrier, and in Part Two of Chapter Seven, learned how to use Sonic Boom. In Act II, Fang will be taking care of an unconscious Vanille.

**Oerba Dia Vanille/Project: Myst: **In Awake, Vanille wakes up in the holding cell about a week before Fang does. She has a conversation with Blaze, and talks about what she would've liked to have done if she and Fang hadn't turned to crystal after saving Cocoon. She makes a deal with Lucas: If he keeps Fang a crystal, Vanille would work for him. Lucas agrees and puts Vanille under experimentation. She becomes Project: Myst. Lucas sends her down to Pulse to aid the war on Paddra. After being hit by Rook's hammer on the train, Vanille falls into a deep abyss in the Yaschas Massif. The suit deems her memory corrupted, and purges everything. This results in Vanille's loss of memory, and having it replaced by something different. Her suit is fully black, covering everything from head to toe. There is emerald trim around her knee's, forearms, and ribs. On her helmet, three horizontal parallel lines glow a similar emerald. Vanille uses a gauntlet on her right hand as a weapon. It works almost exactly like her Binding Rod. Her left gauntlet can shoot cords of razor wire with a ball attached on each end, typically used to restrain an enemies wrists and ankles, preventing them from moving. Her brand has yet to be revealed. In Act II, she will be for the most part with Fang, being bothered by her constant questioning.

**'Lightning' Claire Farron: **In Awake, Lightning leads the elite military group, C.H.E.S.S. Her teammates Bishop, Rook, Knight, and Pawn serve as Bartholomew's private strike team. They eliminate anything that threatens humanity's chances of survival. Lightning retains her look from the game, and continues to use her Blazefire Saber. In Act II, she'll be heading back home to meet with Serah and Snow.

**Edgar/Project: Blaze:** The biologically oldest of the six Projects, Blaze is also built to be the most powerful. Like Vanille, his memory was wiped clean. Staying in the holding cell for a full year before Fang and Vanille are brought in, Blaze is subjected to countless experiments to improve his powers. While his full powers have yet to be revealed, Blaze can melt metal in seconds with a touch, as well as dramatically raise the temperature in a wide area around him. Blaze has been branded three times, each by a different fal'Cie. He has a brand on his eye, which is a simply black circle with one line arcing up while the other arcs down. That brand has already gone Cie'th. His second brand is a long vine winding around his right arm, with leaves sprouting off the vine. The brand originates on the palm of his right hand, and when that eye goes Cie'th, the entire brand follows suit. His final brand is a spiked wheel in a clock formation. Unlike Fang's brand, which only has filled in black circles above the clock spikes, Blaze's circles have opened into scaled down Cie'th eyes. A small Cie'th eye is above the 12, 11, 10, 1, 2, and 3 positions. The combined power of three brands has labeled Blaze as a 'living battery'. He's charged up with so much energy and power, that Blaze has yet to actual be able to control it. Without the suit that he wears, everything around him slowly begins to burn and melt. His suit is fully black, covering every part of him except his knee-long spiky dark red hair. A dark red trim is also around his knees, forearms, and ribs, as well as glowing from the three lines on his helmet.

Along with being unable to control his powers, Blaze has been plagued throughout his entire time in the holding cell. A series of injections and electrocutions the only way to slow the ailments down before they kill him. Blaze's left eye is completely blind. His left foot has been amputated, and replaced with a metal foot. His left thumb, index finger, and ring finger have also been removed and replaced with metal copies. His entire left arm is dead, rotted to the bone from gangrene that is still spreading. The only way Blaze is able to see from his left eye and use his left arm is to draw energy from his brands, however this increases the rate at which they will eventually turn Cie'th. If Blaze was to not use his powers or draw energy from his brands, he would turn Cie'th in about eleven years. Becoming a Project has caused his body to wage a bloody civil war upon himself. In short: he's fucked.

Blaze strives to become a God, or a similar divine being. He feels like God has wronged him, believing that He is allowing Blaze to be subjected to cruel experimentation, and be made into a monster against his own will. He feels that God is not doing his job correctly, and desires to take His spot by force if needed. In turn, Blaze wants to ensure that no one goes through the same things he was subjected to in the holding cell when he becomes God.

However Blaze is also annoyed by monotonous things and cycles. He's constantly trying to figure out what is making that thumping sound in his chest. At times he feels that being alive is too monotonous for him, and that dying would be a nice change of pace. He argues that he'd soon grow tired of being dead, as not being alive is just as monotonous as being alive.

Blaze has no memory of his past, thus making figuring out who he was and what his life was like before becoming a Project is also one of his goals. To achieve these goals, his 'imaginary friend' and Eidolon, Lucy, drives him forward. By the end of Act I, Blaze escapes the drop pod to Paddra, removes the suit limiting his powers, and jumps into the sky. He summons Lucy, and then Fang loses sight of him. However she does get a glimpse of his eyes. Blaze's right eye is a deep blood red, while his left eye is a mix between white and gray. In Act II, Blaze will be trying to achieve his goals of figuring out his past, and becoming a God. He also wishes to see Pulse, the place that was read to him. He believes that his time living as a dog of PSICOM has grown to be too monotonous, so Blaze will be leaving the bad guys. What he actually looks like will also be revealed.

**Lucy:** Blaze's Eidolon. Lucy has yet to be revealed, yet Blaze has summoned Lucy before. Lucy and Blaze talk to each other through thought. They share a conscious, so it can be assumed that Lucy is Blaze's alter ego. Lucy speaks to Blaze constantly, he has yet to determine Lucy's gender. Lucy goads Blaze forward, while also trying to slowly corrupt him through temptations of more power. Lucy is bound to Blaze, so his goals are also Lucy's goals. Blaze's speaking is also affected by Lucy. When Lucy uses Blaze to speak, he is a raunchy, mean, slightly perverted, and a bully type of character. However without Lucy, Blaze is more of a laid back, 'go with the flow' kind of guy. It is when they speak together that Blaze becomes a serious, goal-driven man. In Act II, Lucy will be revealed.

**PSICOM Director Lucas Lynch: **The man who leads Cocoon's army, not much is known about him. Only his sister, Maria, Dr. Kacey, and Blaze know about his personal life. Lucas headed the plan to manufacture the Projects in testing facilities on Ark, a massive airship fal'Cie. A cruel, cold-hearted man, his sinister intentions are hidden behind striking azure eyes and a warm, confident smile. Lucas plans on fulfilling his Master's Focus, and wishes to use the Projects as a means to wipe out all Pulsian life.

* * *

Random Fact: I had actually planned on using SOLDIER, or WEAPON, instead of Project. I felt that I had enough references to previous Final Fantasy games, so I decided that Projects would do.

Random Fact: Chapter One originally began as a note on my cellphone. Later, and with every chapter following, I was handwriting every single one.

* * *

Other characters that were mentioned and have not yet appeared are:

Hope, Bartholomew, Snow, Serah, Team NORA, Sazh, and the three remaining Projects.

Here's an outline of what might be happening in Act II...

Act II will be take 'screen time' away from Fang and Vanille. While they will be taking a lesser role in the second Act, Blaze and Lightning will have more involvement in the story. Chapter 8 will be solely for Blaze. However this doesn't mean that Fang and Vanille will have no part at all in the second act, since Chapter 9 will be all about those two. Throughout the second act, Blaze will meet old characters, both in his own dedicated chapter, and through the rest of the act. Blaze will also meet some of the main characters from FF13, however I won't be revealing them to you. It's not Fang and Vanille, so, you can take your guesses now. The end of Act II will be slightly similar to Act I. The act will end with a two-parter city battle.

* * *

Random Fact: In my original draft, I had no intention of Fang staying with PSICOM for as long as she did. I planned that she would break out immediately after her training session. She would free Blaze, and together, they would fight off the Rejected Ones until they were both free from the facility.

Random Fact: Blaze's real name, Edgar, was originally going to be Otto. His last name would've been LuFair. If I kept with that naming, he would've figured out he was a garbageman before becoming a Project. Otto LuFair. That just makes me laugh.

* * *

**The Focus**

The Focus that Fang and Vanille receive is actually a prelude to Chapter Eight. In that chapter, Blaze does something that triggers all six Projects to receive their Focus.

In short, the Focus is about two armies fighting against each other. A massive airship fal'Cie, Ark, floats out of Cocoon. It shoots a beam of energy into the sky, ripping a portal through Time and Space. Out of the portal, two beasts and a warrior appear. A spider-like robot with four appendages sticking out from a central body. A massive metal-skinned dragon. Lastly, a gray-skinned man in reddish orange armor wielding a halberd. The three fight each other, their attacks damaging the warring armies and the land around them more than themselves. Hordes of Behemoths attack one of the armies from its flank, aiding the opposing army for some unknown reason. The fal'Cie Titan and Atomos are there as well.

**Fight Match Ups**

Here are a few possible pairings for fights in the second and third acts...

Lightning against Fang, in an epic rematch.

Lightning against Blaze.

Possibly Blaze versus Snow?

Blaze against The Maker, for the laughs.

Lightning against the gray-skinned reddish orange halberd-wielding man.

Fang versus the massive metal-skinned dragon.

Blaze against the spider-like robot.

The most shocking fight I have in mind will remain hidden, since It might just appear in Act II.

* * *

Random Fact: Hope might see Lightning naked in a future chapter.

Random Fact: Pawn's invention, _Enhanced Vision, _was taken from the not so well-known game, Shadowrun.

Random Fact: Blaze's real first name, Pawn's real first name, and the name of another yet-to-be-mentioned character spells out the full name of one of my favorite writers.

Random Fact: At the end of _Chapter Seven: Paddra, Part Two, _I rick-rolled you all. :)

* * *

**Holding Chapters Hostage**

That's right, I said it. I'll be holding a select few chapters hostage. Before you hunt me down with pitchforks and torches, let me explain.

While I dislike stories where authors will refuse to continue the story due to not enough reviews, unfortunately I will not release a few chapters due to a certain amount of reviews.

I want you guys and girls to enjoy the story. So, to do that, I think it wouldn't be such a bad idea to let you, the readers, have a say in how the story goes. Starting from the beginning of Act II, I'll be asking a question when the story hits a fork in the road.

Unless stated otherwise, here is how I'll be holding chapters hostage.

I'll give you guys a question at the end of the chapter to answer. The first question, which I'll give to you now, will be the example.

_Should Blaze find the Maker?_

It's a simple question I suppose. Now that the question has been proposed, feel free to answer the question in a review, or a pm, etc. This question will be asked at the end of Chapter 8. The following chapter, however, does not involve Blaze, so I won't be holding Chapter 9 hostage. I'll be holding the chapter that I plan for Blaze to resolve this question hostage.

With that said, after the chapter comes out, I'll give you guys about 2 weeks (Subject to change, it depends on when the chapter in which the question will be answered comes.) to send me answer. I'll go with majority rule, however I'd like to see an explanation as why you chose which option. If it's a tie, I get stupid responses, (I won't even consider something like: "Blaze should just give up now. He's a stupid character) or if I don't get any answers at all, I'll go with what I originally had in mind.

There will be other questions along the way...Some less, vague than others I suppose.

I hope you guys understand that I'm not holding chapters hostage because I demand reviews from you all. I'm just holding a few chapters hostage because I'm giving you, the readers, more control over the story. :D

**

* * *

**

**Conclusion**

Well, this is pretty much all of the things that I wanted to say. I plan on submitting a piece for the Blizzard Writing Contest, so I might not be updating my story for quite awhile. I have yet to be inspired and get a really good idea, so who knows? Maybe I'll continue writing this instead.

Again, I have to thank everyone for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and subscribing to Awake, as well as my other two one-shots. Originally I didn't have much hope for this story, but I'm at least glad that I've got myself a nice small fanbase so I can keep this story going.

_The winner of most awesome review:_ Tigon O

"Nice, yeah there is a lot of grammatical errors but whatever. It was still good. Fucking Knight is such a psycho. I want to bitch slap Vanille into remembering who the hell she is. That line of "Whoa, I don't swing that way, sister." made me want to punch her out. Poor Fang. She doesn't deserve that, but her love being there no matter what is emotionally good enough for me. Overall, great chapter. I will wait patiently for the next chapter..."

You sir/madam, have won the game. Congratulations.

_The winner of person who kept bothering me to type up the next chapter: _PoMPyromancer.

You should really finish your own story, man.

_Winner of most helpful reviewer: _Lady Midday

She fixes my terrible grammar, making me forever in her debt. XD

Okay! So, once again, thanks everyone. If you've got any questions, comments, answers, observations, etc, feel free to review the chapter or send me a pm. I'll respond either way. Once again, I apologize for this not actually being a real chapter.

See you guys when I come back!


	10. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hooray! Awake is back! This chapter is even longer than the second part of Chapter Seven...ugh...It was a pain to make since this was so unbearably long. Regardless, I still enjoyed making the next installment of the story. I recommend you take another look at the Intermission chapter before reading, just so you can catch up on things. If you're that much of a hardcore fan, than read the full chapters. XD**

**Due to excitement, I didn't send this in to be checked for grammar, so bear with me, folks. **

**Word Guide: Blaze=Edgar**

**Disclaimer: Sadly I do not own any of these characters other than the ones I have created. **

"Blaze talks like this" _Blaze thinks like this. "Lucy thinks/speaks like this." "_**B**_laze will speak like this when he and Lucy Gestalt."_

**This chapter is...a little weird. **

**Awake**

**Act II: A Perfect Nightmare**

**Chapter Eight: Human After All**

* * *

Blaze opened his eyes. Well, his right one anyway. By now, his left eye would be returning to its state of blindness, since the energy in his left arm had receded back to the brand on his chest.

He didn't exactly remember how he got to where he was in the first place. Lucy had worked quickly when they had activated their Gestalt. After jumping right out of that falling drop pod, Lucy had taken over. The Eidolon had flown Blaze to some airship not too far away.

The airship was small, to say the least. It was completely white. From the tiles, to the walls, to the floating couches, everything was white, white, white. Exploring the ship for awhile was fruitless. The entire ship was void of other life. He found no mechanisms to control the ship, making the entire place that much more suspicious.

How was it flying without a pilot?

Near the very end of the ship, Blaze was caught in a dead end. It was just a blank, empty hallway. At the very end of the hallway, was what caught his attention. A floating, spiked wheel, was the only interesting thing Blaze found. The center of the wheel worked more like a window, giving a person on one side a view of the other. The wheel was showing Blaze what seemed like a wall of swirling colors. Blaze cautiously walked up to the strange, levitating object. He reached out and touched it with his hand.

It was surprisingly cool to the touch, a feeling that Blaze had not often felt. The mass of swirling colors moved to Blaze's touch. They rippled like tiny waves when one throws a rock into a lake. Still, the more he looked into it, the same image would stare back at him. It gave him the idea that there was _nothing_ on the other side.

_What are these things? I can't tell what they are...but...I feel like I've seen one of these before._

Blaze touched the churning mass of colors directly this time, producing a different effect. He felt nothing really. It wasn't hot or cold, just...nothing. Despite no physical sensations, Blaze felt a strange, yet familiar, tugging effect on his mind. He felt that if he were to press a little harder, his body would be whisked away somewhere else. He felt his mind being pulled and stretched. Random, flashing images exploding into view with bright, vivid detail.

Closing his eyes, he could nearly see himself in these fantastic places the floating disk showed him. Blaze imagined himself on top of these giant mountains, forever reaching for the sky. He could see himself gazing down upon the forests, and valleys, and oceans below. Many images were strange, one showing a small city by the water. A concrete jungle, full of busy people in a constant state hurriedness. These places felt strange, yet familiar to Blaze. It was as if he was there before, and by using the levitating, spiked disk before him, he could once again visit these areas.

The swirling wall of colors seemed to bubble and churn. Staring into it the colorful abyss, it seemed inviting, safe almost.

But, by a force not of his own will, his hand retracted. His legs moved with a mind of their own, and Blaze turned around.

"_That device can teleport you, idiot. It's a trap. The place on the other side is long gone by now. Using that device now will only lead you to your untimely demise. Besides, you'll want to see what's here."_

Lucy finished speaking, and gave Blaze control of his body back. Lucy was Blaze's Eidolon, but the two had a different relationship than most l'Cie. Blaze's body is occupied by two separate conscious'. While Blaze's conscious is the dominant one, and controls the body, Lucy can overpower Blaze. The Eidolon can take control of his body for brief periods of time.

Their minds revolve around each other similar to how two black holes would. The farther their conscious' are away from each other, less Blaze is affected by Lucy. The opposite would go for when their conscious' are closer together, with Lucy typically having more control over Blaze at the time. Eventually, the two conscious' would meld together, where Blaze and Lucy would have an equal amount of control over Blaze's body. In this state, Blaze is always in his Gestalt form with Lucy, and only happens during combat.

At the moment, their conscious' are close together. Lucy can overpower Blaze in this state, however it's more of a choice of whether or not it's fun at the time.

Lucy Led Blaze towards one of the many windows placed throughout the tiny airship. The view outside was spectacular. It had been a long time since Blaze had seen the outside world. Looking out, the area outside the airship was empty. Nothing else was in the sky except for Ark. For some reason, the airship fal'Cie had power to function properly, when Blaze was told that nearly all fal'Cie had died out three years ago.

The view went on the miles and miles. Blaze knew where he was. Cocoon. The interior was barren and empty. The wreckage of entire cities were on the bottom of the sphere. The light of the sun, coming from an unknown angle, casted weird and ominous shadows against the debris of what seemed like a fallen civilization. There were webs of crystal making their way across the interior of Cocoon, adding some more light to the dim interior of upper Cocoon. In the distant, miles and miles away, tiny sparkling dots glinted randomly. The echelons of upper Cocoon were pitch black, with only the tiny flashing dots of gold to make the place seem a little more creepy. From the window, Blaze couldn't see the hole in Cocoon's shell, and the view of the Pulse.

_What is this place?_

"_You used to live in one of these cities down below. Come on, there's more to see. I'm pretty sure this airship is called the Narthex. Ring any bells?"_

_It sounds familiar, yet I'm not sure why I know of this place._

Blaze's wheel brand glowed for a moment, a small clear blue crystal in the shape of a coin produced from thin air. It was the crystal housing of Lucy's physical form. The manifestation of his Eidolon's will. He flipped the tiny blue coin into the air, the crystal shattering into dozens of pieces of floating glass.

The energy released from the coin took shape. A hallow skull, roughly the size of a human's, floated silently before Blaze. The interior of the skull was empty, allowing one to wear it as a helmet or mask of some sort. Staring into the cold, lifeless eyes, Blaze could see Lucy coming to life. Sparks of green fire lit in those eyes, and Lucy was awake.

"_Well? Stop staring at me like I have three heads! You're not here for a field trip, and I don't want to babysit you! Now get off your ass and move!"_

_Sheesh. Calm down, drama queen. What's the rush?_

Lucy didn't respond, and floated on by faster than one would expect.

The two moved through the small airship. The layout was all the same. Windows and floating couches. Blaze touched one of the couches, expecting it to catch on fire like everything else he's always touched. It was different this time. In the Narthex, everything he touched was strangely cool. The air around him was visible, rising to the tip of the airship, and making Blaze look slightly distorted. The tiles beneath his feet, the couch, the window, and that spiked wheel did not melt, burn, or even catch on fire when he touched them.

He looked at his hands, thinking for a moment that his powers weren't working, or his powers left him outright. Blaze shook his head, and placed the palm of his hand over his center brand on his torso. It was still active, pumping energy to the living parts of his body. It made a thumping noise, just like the one in his chest. It annoyed him.

The sensation was strange. Burning or melting things with a mere touch became such a familiar occurrence, that when something was not slowly becoming a pile of liquid mush, Blaze was actually surprised.

His powers were still there. Energy of something he never wanted flowing through his veins. Each time it thumped, Blaze felt his life slowly wasting away. _Thump, thump, thump. _

He had great power. But, this great power was costly. Checking his center brand, Blaze inspected its progression.

_Twelve, eleven, ten, one, and two. The eyes have opened on all of those spots, Lucy. Adding on to the Gestalt we just did to get here, I have filled black circles over nine and three. _

"_No shit, Sherlock. I can see from your eyes too, you know. You have a decade left to live, so what's to worry about?"_

_Well, don't you think we should come up with a plan? _

"_Umm...sure I guess. What do you have in mind?"_

_The military is bound to be on our tail, so we should lay low for awhile. I bet Lucas already knows that I never landed with Naga and Myst._

"_We can do that. Pussy."_

_Oh shut up already. We'll need to evade the military, so we can't come back to Cocoon. Ark is our biggest threat at the moment. Next off, I'll need to start training on my own. I gotta figure out a way to control my powers. _

"_You don't need to train that much. With me, your powers are already far superior to anything PSICOM can produce. We're one-hundred times stronger when we Gestalt."_

_True, but the costs of going into Gestalt is too much. I lose a year off my lifespan just by entering that stage. One minute after the first five minutes is another three months. At the moment I have two goals in mind. I want to learn about my past, and I want to become a God. Simple enough, right?_

"_Sounds good to me. What about Lucas?"_

_Oh, that's simple. We storm the base, kill Lucas, and save the world. Easy as pie. _

"_Whatever, man. Now, take a look at this."_

Lucy led him over to a nearby statue. The fiery skull floating effortlessly to its destination, while Blaze trailed from behind. The airship was small, but he didn't remember seeing statues before. It was a stone carving of a woman. The woman depicted had a tall, lithe, and slender build. With curvy features, and the position the woman was in, it looked as if the woman's body was swaying. She wore a long, broad hat. The broad sides of the hat gave the statue as a whole a very snake-like look.

Staring intently into her eyes, Blaze felt another twinge of familiarity. He never thought he had seen this woman before, but he was sure he had read about her somewhere. Maria never read to Blaze much about snakes, or much of Cocoon's history.

_Who is this woman, Lucy?_

"_This, is Fell Lindzei. She is a serpent. A succubus. She took pieces of Pulse to form Cocoon. She literally stripped the lands for any necessary material she desired. From her, she bore the fal'Cie, like Ark. She bore many other fal'Cie, like Kujata and Carbuncle. Orphan was her second creation. Orphan was the one who branded you, and the other five Projects. As Cocoon's construction neared its end, Fell Lindzei invited Man to live inside. She called it a paradise, and Man came in droves in search of a better life, away from Pulse. Those who lived on Cocoon were made into pets. Mere pawns for the fal'Cie to play with. That wasn't until Fell Lindzei abandoned the fal'Cie she bore, however. She betrayed them, leaving them orphaned without their Maker."_

_Wow...Wait, how do you know so much about this?_

"_I am an Eidolon, fool. My people live in the Void. Before passing through the Door, everything goes through the Void. I was...able to catch a glimpse of the Viper before she left."_

Lucy finished the conversation, floating on past the statue.

The two continued on in silence. To occupy his time, Blaze took another look around. Everything was the same. Boring. Obviously not an airship for passengers, combat, or cargo, Blaze pondered the objective in mind that went into making this.

Blaze sighed. His body began to ache, once again. He needed to find a knife or something sharp to cut off his arm, or that gangrene would continue to spread. His left arm was completely dead. Bits and pieces of skin fell off as he walked. By this stage of the illness, the disease had eaten away nearly everything on his left arm. Rotted, yellowing bone could be seen under whatever flaps of skin and muscle remained. To top it off, he couldn't even move the damn thing. His left eye was still blind, and he could feel that his right eye would fail him in a few days.

He had a lot of pain and problems with his body, but over the year, he learned to get past it. Sure, it gets in the way, but Blaze eventually got around his handicap.

_Hey, Lucy. If Orphan was the second fal'Cie Lindzei created, then who was the first?_

"_We'll be meeting him in a few moments, so it's time to take off the training bra."_

Chuckling silently to himself, Blaze followed the floating skull down a narrow hallway. They passed a small, gray sphere on the ground. Picking it up as he walked, Blaze inspected the strange device. The sphere could open, and Blaze assumed that it was a device that could be used for people to store things in them.

Lucy drifted up a ramp, Blaze close behind. He dropped the used Treasure Sphere, and stopped to look at where Lucy had led him.

The room was large, easily taking up the majority of the ship. There was no defined floor, simply a metal grating used above a lake of churning silver. There was large center platform, where a throne carved from stone sat, empty. On the platform, a tiny pool of the molten silver lay motionless, seemingly untouched for who-knows-how-long. Four, large cylinders were attached at different corners of the roof. The metal disks span atop these cylinders, producing a constant thrumming sound. Shafts of sharpened metal were then connected to the spinning disks. From Blaze's point of view, he couldn't decipher the purpose of these great cylinders at the corners of the room. The back of the room was adorned with gold. It seemed to sparkler of its own accord, without any sunlight to illuminate the room.

With no other way to enter the room other than jumping, Blaze did just that. He jumped, landing comfortably on his left foot. There was a possibility of damaging his right foot, since it was a metal replacement. That, and many other of his extremities were also amputated and replaced with metal counterparts.

"_The Nascent Throne. Lair of Orphan."_

Blaze nodded. Now inside the room itself, he could see the glimmering crystal that gave the room light. Again, he felt a twinge of familiarity. He could've sworn he had been here before. The metal on the floor produced the same effect Blaze encountered with everything else he had touched in the Narthex. Everything was cool. Nothing was melting, or burning, or even getting remotely hot.

_Why does it feel like I've been here before? _

"_In a way, you already have. Let me show you..."_

* * *

_A much younger looking Blaze strode through the halls of the Narthex, with five other individuals in tow. Now a boy, he was around ten or eleven years old. His red hair only went to his shoulders at this age. _

_The group consisted of an odd bunch of males and females of varying ages and occupations. Blaze, or Edgar as he was named at the time, was still a student. Like the other five, he became a l'Cie. _

_Poe was the leader of the group. A tall man with a stocky build, Poe was typically the one who led the group into combat, and gave out the orders. At first, Poe was a simple writer. He wasn't a fighter. But, as the group's travels were coming to a close, Poe transformed into the person everyone required. He became the leader no one wanted, but needed. He was much more resourceful than others gave him credit for. Throughout the journey, Edgar eventually began to look at Poe as sort of a father figure. Poe was the oldest of the group, only thirty-three years old._

_Next was Otto, the complete opposite of Poe. Otto worked as sanitation worker. He picked up trash for a living. Otto was lazy, and a coward. He was the one who brought drugs along for the trip. The idiot got the other five into more trouble than they could count. Otto was the second oldest, at twenty-nine. _

_Penelope was the first person Edgar met when he became a l'Cie. She became somewhat of a mother figure for Edgar. She understood the situation he was in. She worked as an online merchant assistant. She wasn't much of a fighter either, but she came through when the group was in a pinch. She was twenty-seven._

_Kaya was another oddball. She was jobless, not like it mattered much. Cocoon was a paradise after all. Food, water, shelter, everything was supplied by the fal'Cie. She commonly called herself a 'basement dweller'. She was a computer freak, spending hours on end roaming a popular forum board. However she was the neurotic one. She was very emotional, probably suicidal too. She was only twenty-four._

_Jo was the last one to join the group of l'Cie. During their small time together, Edgar was never able to learn much about her past, or what she did for a living. But she was the fighter of the group. Outgoing, outrageous, and probably out of her mind. With the exception being Edgar, Jo was the youngest. A mere eighteen years old. _

_The six had done it. They were branded with a Focus that none of them wanted. They went against the will of the higher powers. They had fought back against the military, and found their way into Orphan's Cradle. _

_It was time to end their time as cursed l'Cie. _

* * *

The vision Lucy produced ended, and Blaze opened his eyes. He took a deep breath, a vain attempt to calm the things that were beating inside him. The thrumming noise from the spinning disks became excruciating. Blaze looked at his palms. He could only lift his right arm to view his palm. The filled black circle on his palm was slowly opening into an eye. The vine-shaped brand wrapping around his right arm was his second brand. He couldn't remember which fal'Cie had branded him that one.

The pale white skin was raggedy and cut. Old wounds reopened as new ones were formed. A slow trickle of blood ran down his arm, beginning a steady drip. Each drop of blood slipped past the holes in the metal grate, and into the churning pool of molten silver below. Each and every vein, capillary, and artery was visible under Blaze's skin. He could see the bones and tendons shift each time he moved a finger. The hand itself looked a little hazy; the air around Blaze was distorted from the heat.

Shaking his head, his hand went back to his side. Lucy was watching him. The floating skull seemed to wait for Blaze impatiently, waiting for him to hurry up.

Blaze joined Lucy at the center silver pool, right before the stone throne. He stared deep into the pool of boiling silver. The more Blaze stared into the pool, the angrier it became. The silver swirled and crashed in on each other. Molten silver splashed out of the pool, as a bubbling mass began to form. It began to take shape before Blaze and Lucy. The levitating, bubbly mass of molten silver was large. Silver appendages sprouted out from the center mass. Its transformation seemed to be nearing it's completion, the mass of silver taking on the rough shape of a human.

A human hovered effortlessly before Blaze. He was looking at himself.

_Who's this fool?_

"_That's you, stupid."_

_Oh. Well don't I look handsome?_

Blaze was tall, with a lean, yet muscular build. The body parts that were functional were healthy and well toned. His body wasn't rippling with muscle, but he was nothing to laugh about. A year of training in Maria's training facility would do that to a person. The copy's left arm was similar to Blaze's. Dead. Blackened, dead skin was beginning to worm its way onto his upper chest. His left arm was barren. Only yellowing bone remained. His right foot was metal, attached to a well sculpted calve.

A black, vine-shaped l'Cie brand wrapped around the copy's right arm. Black leaves and thorns were beginning to form off of the marking. The copy had a square face, with a square jaw line, a strong chin, and prominent cheekbones. His ears were covered by his knee-long spiky red hair. The pupil on his left eye was white, with a gray iris surrounding it. The next l'Cie brand covered up most of the eye. A simple black circle surrounded the eye, making it seem like Blaze had eye shadow on. One thin, black line arced up, while another line arced down, sweeping over most of the left side of his face. The iris of his right eye was a deep crimson color.

The third l'Cie brand was located on his chest. An ornate, spiked wheel in a clock formation. The 12 o' clock spike ended right before his upper chest, while the 6 o' clock spike ended before his navel. A filled black circle had formed over the 9 o' clock and the 3 o' clock spike. Small, opened Cie'th eyes had formed over the 12, 11, 10, 1, and 2 spikes. A large filled black circle was in the very center of the wheel.

The copy seemed to smile at Blaze, and looked away, towards the entrance. The flapping of wings could be heard, and a small, metallic owl flew from the hallway, raising a shield to prevent Blaze's escape. The owl flew to the copy, and a bright white flash filled the room.

* * *

"_I must give you my thanks, Edgar. You have shown me that my Projects are ready for their Focus."_

_The world lit up in a vast array of explosions. Flashing images swirled around. _

_Soldiers, Pulsian and PSICOM alike. Great herds of Behemoths. Rivers of blood. The black angry sky turned a sick blue, as massive storm clouds collided onto each other. Lightning discharged onto massive armies fighting. A wide plain was lit ablaze with fire. Dead bodies littered the battlefield. The sky rippled and moved, a raging ocean. Titan and Atomos. Out of Cocoon's shell, an airship sailed over the battlefield. Ark. A projectile of pure energy shot out of the airship. The sky began to rip and tear itself apart. Space and Time themselves pulling apart at the seems. _

_A portal from dimensions unknown opened, and out came the beasts. A silver-steel mechanical creature exited from the portal, four spider-like legs emerging from its sides. With no head, the central body was dominated by a large, yellow, pupil-less eye. The beast let loose a barrage of missiles, lasers, and other means of death upon the fighting combatants below. All were defenseless against the great mechanical metal monstrosity. The roiling skies let loose a vile beast without a soul._

_The second beast escaped from the portal, closing the dimensional rift. It collided into first beast. The two clashed in the air. A massive coiling dragon of living metal fought the spider-like robot, the two simply destroying more of the land around them. The armies warring against each below began to dwindle, their numbers lessening against the assault from the spider-like robot and the great metal dragon._

_Again, a second projectile of pure energy was launched into the area. The raging skies repeating what had happened before. The sky swelled and swirled and came apart. The portal to the Void once again borne into existence. A man wielding a halberd stood alone on the battlefield, his gray complexion a stark contrast to his reddish orange armor._

_And then, the world returned to its darkness._

* * *

Blaze opened his eyes, his head throbbing from the assault of yet another vision. The copy of Blaze and the metal owl were gone, replaced with...some grotesque looking thing.

A burlesque, bronze, machine-like creature towered over Blaze. It's grin appeared to be mocking Blaze, an eerie smile with sharp, dagger-like teeth. The metal creature was white, with gold lining, alien markings visible on its surface, and four face-masks grafted onto the sides of its head as adornments. The large head was attached to a snake-like throat with gills at the end. The monsters face had white, pupiless eyes.

The beast seemed to be able to already know what Blaze was thinking.

"I am fal'Cie. My name is Barthandelus; voice of the Sanctum, and Lord-Sovereign of the Cocoon fal'Cie."

"_This, is Lindzei's first creation: Barthandelus. Don't ask many questions, he already knows everything about you."_

"Greetings, Edgar. It has been quite a long time, hasn't it?

Blaze swallowed, and got back onto his feet. He felt slightly intimidated by the machine's sheer size.

"Y-yeah...I guess it has. Refresh my memory, when was the last time we met?"

Barthandelus laughed, his metallic voice echoing off the walls of the room. With the wave of a clawed hand, Blaze was attacked by another vision.

* * *

_A young Edgar, Poe, Penelope, Otto, Kaya, and Jo were in the Nascent Throne. Barthandelus, in all his glory, stood proud before the six l'Cie. He had transformed into his fal'Cie state, and a battle, the final battle, was about to begin. _

"_I have no need for failed l'Cie. If you will not follow your Focus, I will make you obey!" Barthandelus yelled, raising his clawed hands to pound at the ground. _

_The six l'Cie acted fast, forming a semi-circle around the mad fal'Cie. Poe took the center, ready to take the brunt of Barthandelus' attacks. The other five began their barrage upon him with magic and guns. The four face-masks opened, releasing Barthandelus' counterattack. Laser beams and magic of all kind were shot at the rebel l'Cie. They fought valiantly against fate, yet one by one, they fell._

_Otto was the first to go. The man caught the wrong end of a Ruinga, and was hit with the full force of the blast. He was staggered, the spell leaving his arms trembling and his legs wobbly. The shadow of Barthandelus' clawed hand appeared beneath Otto. The clawed hand closed in on Otto, and began to crush him. The hand lifted off the ground, and deposited the crushed, bloody corpse of Otto LuFair into the churning pool of molten silver. _

_Kaya and Penelope were next, both unable to reach the shield in time. Barthandelus was ready to release a particularly deadly attack, his face opening to reveal the barrels of many guns. A barrage of laser beams hit the two women, and their charred, burnt corpses joined Otto in the pool of silver. _

_Poe, Jo, and Edgar knew they were fighting a losing battle. They did not run. They knew, in their hearts, that it would be better to die denying what fate forced upon them, then to live fulfilling someone else's will. Gunfire and magic seemed to bounce off Barthandelus. His own attacks, on the other hand, seemed to be growing in power. The fal'Cie grew tired of toying around._

_Poe was hit by Barthandelus' clawed hand, and lifted into the air. He was trapped, raised to eye level to meet the fal'Cie. The god-machine merely laughed._

"_This, is what mere l'Cie can do?" The fal'Cie laughed again, and casted Ultima on the trapped man._

_Edgar didn't watch. After the green explosion disappeared, Poe's body was thrown into the pool of silver like the rest. Edgar and Jo were running, desperate to dodge the torrent of attacks. It was simply too much. Soon enough, the green, half-sphere formed around Edgar. Before the Ultima spell could unleash its deadly results, Edgar was pushed out of the way. Jo saved him, for the time being. She sacrificed herself, to spare the ten or eleven year old boy a few more moments to live. _

"_Good, good. Now that those pitiful lifeforms are gone, I can make use of you, Edgar."_

_

* * *

_

"You bastard! You killed them all! And then you made me a Project!"

The metal being laughed at Blaze. Barthandelus blew Blaze away with a shockwave, to counterattack Blaze's running charge.

"I have no use for flawed l'Cie, Edgar. You, of all people, should know that. Making the Projects costed hundreds, nay, thousands of lives."

Blaze hit the ground with a thud. His body ached, and he didn't feel like drawing energy from his brands to heal his injuries. Using the energy from his brands would heal his wounds today, but shorten his overall lifespan. His right palm began to bleed profusely. He stood up, and watched the blood drip into the pool of silver below.

"I think, instead of going straight into combat, some explanations are in order, hmm?" Barthandelus drawled.

"We can handle this like civilized beings, right?"

Blaze locked eyes with Barthandelus. He felt like crap. His legs could barely move, and the blood certainly wasn't going to stop anytime soon. The thumping sound in his chest grew louder and faster. Blaze breathed in ragged gasps, mostly choking on his own blood. In situations like these, he would be strapped down for a routine injection and electrocution checkup. Unfortunately, there wasn't exactly anyone around kind enough to help him.

"Tell...Me...Everything..."

Barthandelus laughed, seeming to enjoy that another of his evil schemes was playing out just as he imagined.

"I am Barthandelus, first child of the Maker's brood. Unlike the other fal'Cie, whom were built with a singular Focus in mind, I was made differently. Fal'Cie are constructed with one purpose, and given finite power to complete it. Fal'Cie like Kujata provide energy, or Ark who acts as a guardian; they both were made to fulfill that one task. I was built to observe, and manipulate when needed."

"Think of my Focus like someone who watches a parade from the air. I see all that plays out before me. I know where everyone in the parade is, where they came from, and where they will be going. However, I have the power to change the direction of the parade. For millennium, I sat and watched Cocoon grow and prosper, until it eventually became the paradise that it was. Yet the Maker still abandoned its children. We were left as orphans to survive without a mother."

"Distraught, we continued the tasks we were designed for. We were eager to please the Maker prior to her departure, and that continued. For centuries the fal'Cie worked and waited for the Maker to return. She never did. Being the only fal'Cie free of a singular Focus, I began to question our existence. Did the Maker leave us because we were flawed? Did the Maker abandon us out of boredom? Were we mere toys for the Maker?"

"The desire to know the answer to these questions burned inside me, but my fellow fal'Cie and I could do nothing by ourselves. Other than myself, fal'Cie could not think of their own accord, they were bound by the Focus they were built for. I knew the Maker had departed from this world, and had journeyed through the Door, so it became my Focus to bring the Maker back."

"The plan was simple: if a flood of souls were to pass through the Door, the Door would be thrown wide, and the Maker would return. I turned to Orphan, the fal'Cie that powered Cocoon. Orphan was bound by two inseparable Foci. He was tasked with the continuance of human and fal'Cie life. But, both were not immortal. To allow one to live would be killing the other. However, if he were to die, then fal'Cie would cease to function, and Cocoon would be sent plummeting to Pulse, and human life would cease to exist as well."

_Damn this guy can talk. _

"_I'll shut him up in a second. There's still a few things you need to hear."_

_Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, Pulse is real? After we deal with this guy, that's our first stop!_

"...And so, for centuries after that, l'Cie after l'Cie were branded to become Ragnarok, and destroy Orphan. They all failed. None could bring the salvation we dreamed for. Poe, Otto, Kaya, Penelope, Journey and Edgar were the next to be chosen. Yet again, you appeared before Orphan weak, and incapable of becoming Ragnarok. After your friends had died, I made preparations for the next group of l'Cie to be chosen. It seemed to be fate, that the two chosen l'Cie of Pulse would awaken from their crystal slumber. After dozens of failed attempts, Orphan was finally slain, and I saw salvation for the first time."

"In the end, they still failed, and the light of salvation was still out of my grasp."

_So after the others and I failed to kill Orphan, Fang and Vanille woke up?_

"_Right. Vanille told you something about Ragnarok before she left for testing."_

"Three years ago, Orphan was slain. The chosen l'Cie found a way to get around their Focus, and kept Cocoon stable on a stalk of crystal. The Maker did not come."

Blaze placed the palm of his right hand over his wheel brand. Branded by Orphan. Sparks of raw energy crackled from the brand, flowing through his body. It was one of the few things that reminded Blaze he was still alive.

"If Orphan is dead, then why is my brand still here? Why do the brands on the other Projects still exist?" Blaze asked, a mix of confusion and determination on his face.

"Orphan is dead, that is true. The chosen l'Cie had a Focus. One of them must become Ragnarok and slay Orphan. The fal'Cie was not killed by Ragnarok, and thus did not die permanently. Fal'Cie are built around the crystals that power them. While their material forms can be destroyed, if the crystals remain intact, the fal'Cie will eventually be born anew. Ragnarok is the only being that can destroy the crystals."

"Orphan is dead, but not for long. The resulting explosion after the destruction of his material shell sent parts of his physical form across Cocoon. These scattered parts would provide power to anything nearby, creating those tiny golden dots you saw in the upper parts of Cocoon. The reason why the Narthex, and the fal'Cie Ark, are active, is for sole reason that a shard of Orphan crashed into Ark."

"Cocoon is only partially functional now. To stray from a shard of Orphan would be suicide. Remnants of PSICOM only work and function near these shards. If I were to leave the vicinity of the nearby Orphan shard, I too will die."

Barthandelus made a grunting, animalistic sound from his throat.

"Over the three years of watching, waiting, and recovering, I had time to think. I thought about why the Maker had chosen to abandon its children. Maybe, she really didn't want us. Being forsaken by my creator for so long, and after countless failed attempts at bringing her back, angered me. Was our existence a mistake? Was that why the Maker left us? Finally, I thought that, if the Maker would return one day, would she be hostile?"

"These thoughts brought me to you, Edgar. The creation of the Projects has been well underway since I spared your life nearly twenty years ago. You are twenty-eight years old now, and the strongest Project ever manufactured. Originally, I built the Projects in order to help the effort of bringing back the Maker. But over the last three years, your purpose has changed. When the Maker is brought back, you and your fellow Projects will be there to defend us against the Maker."

"You, Edgar, will slay the Maker."

_I will slay the Maker...and become a God myself..._

"No! I won't do your dirty work! Sparing my life was the biggest mistake you could make, Barthandelus! No one commands me! No one tells me what to do! It's my life, and I control it!"

Barthandelus repeated the grunting, animalistic sound emanating from his throat, and seemed to laugh. His golden lips curved into an eerie grin, his dagger-like teeth reflecting light from an unknown source.

"Foolish l'Cie. If you will not willingly do what fate has forced upon you, I will make you obey!"

* * *

"_Finally it's time to fight!"_

_Without the suit on to limit my powers, I can do more damage to him than I did to myself. _

Blaze charged head on. It was stupid, but hey, it's not like he has got anything to lose. A fire burned within him that demanded to be fed. He would make Barthandelus pay, and burning him to a crisp seemed like the best way to do it. He wished he could make use of his left arm and left eye, but that would require energy from his brands, and he was using enough already.

As he ran towards the fal'Cie, the air around Blaze grew more hazy and distorted. He was increasing the temperature around him at startling rate, while the imprint of his foot steps began to glow red hot on the platform. Conjuring a great ball of flame, Blaze tossed it once in the air before sending it hurtling towards Barthandelus with a well placed kick. He was a pyromancer, and excelled it that field. Fire spells came naturally to him, so his Firaga was especially powerful against the mad fal'Cie.

The fireball hit Barthandelus square in the face. The fireball hit, and exploded on contact. Several, much smaller, fireballs separated from the main one, and scattered. Blaze could easily tell that the spell had hit its mark, clearly seeing the mass of fire envelop the right side of Barthandelus face. That eerie grin remained plastered onto his metallic face. The spell wasn't as effective as Blaze originally thought.

Blaze was in a close distance to Barthandelus now, able to avoid a strike from his clawed hands. Drawing energy from the brand on his right arm, Blaze gave a few seconds of life back to his left. He summoned another massive ball of flame, and chucked it point blank at Barthandelus' ever smiling face. The fal'Cie was covered in fire, and actually let out a throaty groaning noise that sounded like he was in pain. Blaze smirked to himself, and used the time that Barthandelus was in pain to distance himself from the fal'Cie. His left arm went limp, to no surprise.

The counterattack came next. After the flames died down, leaving Barthandelus with a warm, bright glow, he was raised up his claw. Each sharp, metal finger protruding from his palm conjured a clear ball of energy.

"_Baptism in Ruin. Not a fairly strong attack, but it's still best to get the fuck out of the way."_

Barthandelus thrusted his fingers into the air, releasing the series of attacks. A large string of clear balls of energy were aimed at Blaze. He was fast enough to run from them. While he ran, Blaze left a burning trail in his wake. Without the ability to control his powers, things would blow out of proportion. Real fast. The metal grating acting as a floor was beginning to melt, red hot chunks of glowing metal fell into the silver pool.

Eventually, Blaze lit himself on fire. Wreathing his body in flames was not only a good offense, and but a good defense as well. Most ranged projectiles would melt into puddles of mush moments before contact. With a running charge and a mighty leap, Blaze lifted himself off the ground and soared onto Barthandelus' face. With his right palm raised high in the air, Blaze conjured another fireball. He concentrated it, reducing its size while increasing its power. He closed his fingers around the now tiny fireball, forming a fist.

_I like to call this one, the Meteor Fist._

"_Stop playing around. You're still rusty, and this type of enemy isn't exactly suited towards you."_

Blaze slammed his fist into Barthandelus' face. The fire detonated, and exploded. Blaze's fist crushed the fal'Cie. His metallic face dented and twisted beyond most normal repair. His victory was short lived, as Blaze was sent off of Barthandelus with a shockwave. Metal liquified, and swirled around Barthandelus' face, repairing him.

The fal'Cie placed his clawed hands close to his repairing face, and his shoulder plates began to glow. Barthandelus was charging an attack. A transparent shield surrounded him, while he drew more energy into his attack. Blaze ran forward, getting as close to the shield as possible. The man crouched low, using the fal'Cie as a form of cover.

"_Good, you're learning. Next time, run faster, you'll never know when his attack discharges. Destrudo is a powerful spell, so you'll get the most cover right beneath him."_

Barthandelus released his attack. He unleashed violent waves of energy and lasers from his body. Blaze's tactical thinking proved useful, as the brunt of the attack was avoided. He came out with a little bruises and cuts, but nothing that wasn't there before.

The attack died down, leaving Barthandelus vulnerable, albeit for a few seconds. Blaze leapt onto the fal'Cie again, landing directly onto his face. It was time, Blaze thought, that he wiped that smile off his face. Again. His body was a raging inferno now. Barthandelus' metallic skin was already showing signs of melting. The metal grating floor was nearly gone. Blaze placed his palm over Barthandelus, and drew energy from his central brand. Taking a deep breath, Blaze released powerful jet of fire from his hand. It enveloped and surrounded Barthandelus, searing his metal skin and causing his face to melt again.

There was an explosion, and Blaze was sent spiraling away from Barthandelus. Unfortunately, he was heading straight for one of the metal shafts.

"Agh!" Blaze howled in pain, watching the shaft of metal pierce through skin, muscle, bone, and metal. Blood splattered everywhere, and Blaze went into a violent coughing fit. There was blood and bile, and the pain was unbearable. The shaft was imbedded in his chest, probably destroying most of his vital organs, Blaze assumed. He was surprised, finding himself still capable of thought.

_Lucy...what's this painful sensation? And..and what's this red stuff coming out of me...?_

"_You're dying, Edgar. That's blood that you're seeing."_

Blaze touched the wound in his chest, wracking his body in pain as his body begged him to stop. He groaned as the blood gushed out of him. Taking some of the blood onto his fingers, Blaze inspected it. His right eye twitched, and he tried to stifle a laugh. It seemed funny, for a moment, that he was on the verge of death and that he had never seen himself bleed so much before.

* * *

_You know, while death is a nice change of pace, it's really inconvenient at the moment. I mean, I don't mind dying, but I wished I could have completed those goals I set out for. I would've liked to get a better understanding of what Focus I was given. It might have been nice to see Fang reunite with Vanille, if their memories are still intact. You know, dying kinda sucks when you look into it. You know what's funny Lucy? The thumping noise finally stopped._

Blaze wasn't exactly alive, but wasn't exactly dead. He felt somewhere in between. Everything was hazy. He could see, strangely enough, but it didn't feel like it. It felt like an out-of-body experience. A lucid dream perhaps.

There was no sound, no smell, and he couldn't feel anything. Blaze assumed he was just their to watch something. Even now, it surprised him he was still capable of logical thought even when he was dead! If he was dead. It didn't feel like it. It didn't feel like anything. Everything was just...quiet.

He was somewhere white. There was no describable features, just a horizon stretching on for all of eternity. Sometimes a few colors floated on by.

"_Her Providence sought nothing. Her Providence made nothing. She but looked on, silent in Her sorrow. The Goddess pitied mortals, destined as they were to die, and so She deigned to intervene in the hour of their greatest peril. She averted cataclysm that was to be, and put to rest the ones who would have robbed so many of what time fate had ordained. Her compassion did not end at this. The Goddess pitied also those subjected to that fate of Focus, crueler still than death. To them She sent Her messengers, to deliver hope when all was lost."_

Lucy appeared before Blaze, apparently the one to speak those words that had floated on by like everything else at the moment. The skull glided by Blaze, silently watching. Silently judging.

From somewhere, the wind blew. Gusts of shadow collided onto each other in front of Blaze. The shadow spun and danced around, forming a tornado of darkness. As the cyclone grew darker and darker, it seemed that the white void around him had managed to become whiter. No colors floated on by anymore, as everything was being sucked up into the black spinning vortex. The wind howled and spun violently, ringing in Blaze's ear.

"Edgar..."

The swirling mass of shadow stopped. The howling died down, and Blaze could only hear the dying remnants of his real name echoing. The voice was feminine, but was low and husky.

The shadows dispersed into trillions of tiny glimmering black snowflakes. The air distorted, and a woman appeared, surrounded by the snowflakes. She was beautiful, to say the least. Her pale skin was unnaturally flawless, free of any blemish, dot, or line. Her inky black hair seemed to flow around her, with shadowy tendrils reaching out to touch the black snowflakes. The woman had a tall and slender build. Raggedy, torn strips of cloth covered small parts of her waist and breasts, still not leaving much to the imagination. Like Blaze at this moment, she too was floating. She hovered gracefully before him, and smiled. She had incredibly white teeth, and her black eyes seemed to sparkle if Blaze stared at them for too long.

"Greetings, Edgar." the woman spoke, bending to perform a small bow. The howling ceased, and all was quiet.

Lucy glided over to the mysterious woman, the flames around the skull dying down to tiny sparks. The woman reached out a hand and patted the skull gently.

"_Did I do good, My Lady?"_

The woman smiled, and stroked Lucy's cheek.

"Yes. You did wonderful, Lucifer. You brought Edgar right to me."

Blaze remained silent through the whole ideal. He thought he heard a _purring_ sound emitted from Lucy, watching the skull being stroked and petted by the mysterious woman. The woman removed her hand, and Lucy returned to Blaze's side, seemingly content.

_Care to fill me in on what's going on? Lucifer? Hahaha..._

The flames around Lucy's skull lit up for a moment, and the woman laughed.

"I am the Goddess Etro, and welcome to the Void. You're body is dead, but the soul is alive. You were a l'Cie. I send my messengers to l'Cie to deliver hope when all is lost. In this case, you received Lucifer."

"But I had never received Lucy! I woke up in the holding cell and Lucy was already there!"

Etro nodded, and floated a little closer to Blaze. The black snowflakes followed, eventually surrounding him. Up close, her form didn't seem real. Where she glided, the air distorted itself. She appeared to be more of a shadow than a physical being. But, hearing the word _Goddess_ caused something to click inside Blaze's mind. He was supposed to kill the Maker, and other divine beings. He was supposed to attack, but he couldn't move anything other than his eyes and mouth.

Reading his thoughts, Etro chuckled softly. Her eyes inspected Blaze more closely. It wasn't needed, already knowing what he had looked like since birth. Regardless, it was better to view the red-haired man in person when she normally looked at people without them knowing it.

"You are correct, Edgar. I never sent Lucifer to you. But after looking into the situation, it seemed like you needed an Eidolon after all. You play a pivotal role in the fate of the world, you know. The humans had built a device that could enter the Void, and Lucifer was captured."

"_PSICOM created a weapon, the Void Gun they called it. It could open portals into the Void. The second shot from the gun would be a harpoon, to capture and drag its target into the real world. I was its first victim."_

Blaze nodded, looking down at the wheel brand on his torso. He noticed that there seemed to be cracks originating from the center black circle. The cracks in the brand glowed orange, and pulsed strangely.

"Yeah. I saw that in my Focus. Ark...uh...Ark used that gun thing to open portals in the sky. A robot, a dragon, and a warrior exited from the portals."

"_Exactly. I was brought into the physical world differently. The one you saw in your Focus was the completed version. They used a handheld version to capture me. They shot the gun through your wheel brand. The portal opened, and I was dragged into your body. That's why we can speak through thought, and why I use your body to enter Gestalt. Those cracks you see can only be seen in the Void. That's where I had entered your body."_

Etro floated closer to Blaze. She placed a hand over Blaze's wheel brand. The sensation was strange. He couldn't feel anything, but his eyes started bugging out. For a moment, he thought he could feel vertigo.

"The cracks represent your physical shell breaking away. The power from your three brands are overwhelming your body. Now that you have received your Focus, the cracks will eventually grow bigger."

"But I'm dead! It's too late now!"

Etro nodded and closed her eyes.

"That is true. But I can take you back. The world has need of you, Edgar. There are others that play important roles, but they cannot function while one piece is missing. Your Focus requires you to defend mankind, and you will do just that."

Blaze sighed. "But I don't even know what my Focus is!" Etro chuckled softly to herself again, and placed her hand over Blaze's left arm.

"The humans are at war with each other. They wish to bring back the Maker that had abandoned them millennium ago. They plan on eradicating all life on Pulse, causing a flood of souls to go through the Door. They want to open portals into the Void, and ride the waves of souls. They'll use the souls to reach the Maker. However, the beasts in your Focus were not part of their plan. Humans have yet to grasp the complexity of the Void. The beasts will be summoned by accident."

"So they plan on using Ark as a means of transportation. So they could journey through the Door and meet the Maker. But the Projects and I were built to slay the Maker, and who are these beasts that will be summoned...?"

Blaze's words trailed on. His eyes were locked on his left arm. Etro's hand left his arm. The dead, rotting, bone-exposed arm was now fully healed. It was healthy, and good as new. The skin was smooth.

"The three beasts have existed inside the Void for centuries. The beasts open portals through the Void, and pass into different times and universes. The great robot-weapon Omega, is locked in eternal combat with the metallic dragon, Shinryu. The two follow each other from place to place, in constant struggle. The third, the halberd wielding warrior, is unlike the first two. Gilgamesh will venture through the portals as he chooses, but does not always leave destruction and havoc in his wake. Your Focus is to slay the three beasts, as they will destroy all life on Pulse."

Blaze nodded, still slightly confused.

"But by killing the beasts, the war would still rage on, and PSICOM would enter the door using the souls of the dead Pulsians. They would still reach the Maker!"

Etro placed a palm over Blaze's left eye. For a moment, nothing had happened. Removing her hand, she floated back to her original position. She smiled at her work. His left eye blinked a few times, and widened. He could see again!

"You were built to defeat the Maker, but that does not mean you will. It is ultimately your decision to face the Maker. You are correct; killing the beasts would still allow the humans to flood the Door. So it is up to you to find a way to end the war, and kill Omega, Shinryu, and Gilgamesh."

Lucy glided over to Blaze. The skull placed itself over his face, creating a mask. It was a perfect fit. The eye sockets lit ablaze with ethereal flame.

"Can I see the Maker?" Blaze asked. Lucy and Blaze were entering Gestalt.

Etro smiled, and nodded no. "I know where the Maker resides, and I can tell you, but it is up to you to find him. If you can answer this riddle, you will understand."

_I am what you cannot be, but you once were what I will become. _

_I am what only blind can see, and of infinity and one, I am the sum._

_I am the cure, and I am the cancer..._

* * *

"_Ready?" _Lucy asked, slowly beginning to meld its conscious with Blaze's. He nodded, and with a deep breath, he closed his eyes.

"You've got one minute. You already cost me a year just to get to this damn place."

Blaze could hear Lucy's laugh echoing inside his mind. He was back in the real world, even though he felt like he never left it in the first place. Surprisingly, the pain was gone. The metal shaft protruding from his stomach remained, but the pain had vanished. To Blaze's enjoyment, his left arm and left eye were both fully healed. Even the thumping sound had returned.

Lucy and Blaze were entering their Gestalt form. Their conscious' revolved around each other, until becoming one. He lost control of his arms and legs, watching as the appendages spasmed and moved uncontrollably. He felt each bone in his body break and fix itself in mere seconds.

His eyes rolled back in his head, replaced with two sparks of fire. His skin tensed, and turned a dark maroon color. Blaze's legs twisted and contorted into the long hoofed legs of a goat. His spine began to wiggle, his coccyx splitting open from the skin it lay under. Like the rest of his body, the bone changed. It instantly grew about two feet long, and turned a greenish, spotted color. The bone began to slither slightly, until completely transforming into a snake. The two feet long snake-tail rose, almost reaching Blaze's shoulder.

Blaze's head began to throb. A curved horn sprouted and grew above each eye. His hands grew to become proportionate with the rest of his body. Fingers and nails grew into sharpened claws. His blood red hair clung to him like a thick fur, and exploded into flames. A pair of thick, fleshy upside down bat wings grew from pre-existing scars on his back.

"**Y**_ou better start counting then."_

The metal shaft inside Blaze melted into slag, and dripped out. Blaze fell onto the platform, as the metal grate floor had completely melted by now. The wings unfurled, acting more as a predatory instinct of challenge.

Blaze stood defiant before Barthandelus. The air around him was distorted, the heat rising most of the air towards the ceiling. Wreathed in an eldritch fire, Blaze slowly strode towards the fal'Cie. The vine brand on his right arm began to glow bright, and a ball of fire appeared in his hand. Blaze condensed the fire, concentrating it into a single point. He balled his hand into a fist, covering the flame.

"**I**'_'ll show you a real Meteor Fist."_

With godlike speed, Blaze closed the distance between him and Barthandelus. The man, who looked more demon than human at this point, leaped into the air. Blaze slammed his fist right into Barthandelus' face for the second time. This time, the results were much more devastating.

_Fifty-five seconds..._

The metal face of the fal'Cie was twisted and destroyed. Remnants of its strange visage and dagger-like teeth clung on, survivors of the attack. A loud, successful crunch emitted from Barthandelus the moment the punch pierced his armor. The shock of the blow actually caused the machine to shift backwards. With a hoofed kick to Barthandelus' thoroughly destroyed face, Blaze was off into the air again.

As his wings flapped weirdly in the air, Blaze spotted the molten silver rising from the pool. Given enough time, the silvery liquid would repair Barthandelus and fix any of his wounds.

_Forty-five seconds, and don't let him fix himself._

Blaze closed his right eye, leaving his left eye open. The arcing brand over his left eye glowed brightly. Eyeing each silver tendril rising from the pool for a brief few seconds, Blaze used his next attack. The spark of fire hovering in front of his left eye shot out. The fire separated into five smaller sparks of fire, one for each tendril.

The fire hit each silver tendril. The space around the tendril was distorted, and each one collapsed in upon itself and burst into flames. The dying tendrils fell in pieces back to the silver pool below. The attack was effective, but stalling the process would result in much more tendrils in just a few seconds.

_Thirty seconds..._

"**J**_ust calm down for a moment. _**I**_ realize how much time I have left. _**I **_figured out an escape route."_

Barthandelus' face-masks had opened, showering Blaze in a torrent of laser fire. Navigating through the attack was difficult, a last ditch effort to stall Blaze so the fal'Cie had time to repair. Outright ignoring the attacks, Blaze flew right through the barrage of lasers and magic.

Blaze released a wave of energy as he landed upon Barthandelus for third time. The release of energy caused the metallic skin of the fal'Cie to slowly melt away. Blaze removed some of the metal plating that had managed to survive the second Meteor Fist. He took a good look inside the thrashing fal'Cie's mechanical insides.

_Twenty seconds..._

Giving a small wave goodbye to Barthandelus, Blaze drew power from his wheel brand. Taking in a deep breath through his nose, tiny puffs of black smoke escaped. Blaze opened his mouth, and released a torrent of fire. He yelled, breathing more fire into Barthandelus' robot guts. Jets of fire erupted out of every opening and orifice in the machine's body.

Barthandelus' insides were melting. His body was failing. He was destroyed beyond repair. He wasn't dead, oh no, only Ragnarok could kill a fal'Cie permanently. But the fal'Cie was reverting back to its crystal form, to wait, and recover.

The resulting blast flung Blaze across the room. His body quickly melted the metal hull of the ship. He could see the outside world again. Barthandelus let out one last explosion, and Blaze rode it out.

He was soaring out of the ship, the airship mostly melted by now. His time was up, and Blaze felt his body slowly transitioning back to its original form. He caught one last glimpse of Ark, sailing effortlessly inside Cocoon's barren shell.

* * *

_The Goddess Etro had a small smile on her face. The divine being moved a little closer to Edgar, whispering in his ear._

"_I am what you cannot be, but you once were what I will become. _

_I am what only blind can see, and of infinity and one, I am the sum._

_I am the cure, and I am the cancer..."_

"_If you can answer this riddle, you will understand."_

_

* * *

_**A/N: Okay, the chapter is done! A few things to say...**

**I did a self-insertion simply because I couldn't find creative names for a girl. Journey, Otto, Poe, Kaya, and Penelope were not important characters anyway, so I don't feel like that matters. **

**Lucifer is an actual Final Fantasy creature, feel free to look him up, because I'm not giving Blaze the actual devil. XD**

**Blaze does kinda fight like a Mary-Sueish character in this chapter. While I can admit that he does, he still has major drawbacks. By the end of this chapter, he has around nine years left to live.**

**If you can answer the riddle, feel free to send me what you think the answer is!**

**Okay, important question time...**

_Should Blaze find the Maker, and subsequently fight Him?_

**Answer the question please, and provide a short explanation as to why you chose what answer. I'll be going by majority rule, so if most of you guys want to see Blaze encounter the Maker, than I'll include it in the story. **


	11. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hey, guys. Unfortunately, this chapter is shorter than the recent ones I have been releasing. A meager 12 pages :( This is the one and only Fang/Vanille chapter in Act II also. **

**The drive to put some emotion in these chapters has been making me go crazy. So I gave up on it. I'm just going to write each chapter how I see fit. I don't really feel anything when I read over my own work. (To be honest, reading the first few chapters kinda bores me, since I already know how the story ends. XD)**

**Ten points for whoever catches the clothing store reference. xP**

******Rated T for blood...lot's of blood. Cursing, 'cause Vanille has a dirty mouth in this chapter. **

******Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

******So, how has the story been going so far? I'm really looking for some constructive criticism. (Besides Grammar, ugh.)**

******Hmm...I just noticed that a lot of people will be confusing this story with that other story, Awakening, by a first glance at the title...**

******Awake**

******Chapter Nine: Quarrel**

_

* * *

Oerba Yun Fang found herself deeply entrenched within a cloud of mist. The fog around her was dense, impenetrable to light. She was in an empty, yet truly massive chamber. The area was completely covered in fog, to a point where Fang couldn't tell where the floors, walls, or ceiling was. To be honest, she didn't even remember seeing the layout of the room in the first place. _

_Everything was just fog, fog, and more fog. _

_To her surprise, Fang discovered that her sari had returned to her, as well as all her old jewelery. Her spear had disappeared, but for some reason, she didn't really feel like it had mattered. Fang didn't feel...threatened. The mist filled chamber seemed familiar. Yes...she had been here before, right? _

_Remembering her past visits here wasn't all that important to Fang either. _

_The whooshing sound was the only constant in the foggy room. It created a slow, steady rhythm. Fang could tell that it wasn't natural. But, it all felt calming to Fang. Soothing perhaps. She felt safe here. _

_Fang walked for what felt like miles. She made no progress. The environment was simply unchanging. _

_As she walked, Fang could hear the faint echo of a distant voice. She couldn't discern what the unknown speaker was saying, so Fang ran. She was running, far faster than she had ever felt before. For some reason, she felt light, weightless. Gravity didn't seem to affect her here. The thick, murky fog remained ever present. Fang stopped running when she heard the speaker talk again._

"_Fang..."_

_The voice was quiet, and sounded frightened. Hurt, maybe? She couldn't tell. Fang heard the speaker shriek. Whoever was calling her name sounded like a wounded, dying animal. Before Fang began to walk again, she felt something whizz by her. She felt a sharp, intense pain on her cheek. Raising a finger to the wound on her cheek, Fang could tell the projectile had drawn blood. Casting aside any doubts about what lay beyond, Fang strode towards the speaker. A few moments later, she heard the speaker call her name again._

"_Fang..."_

_This time, the speaker was louder, and Fang could tell it was female. She heard the female moan again, louder this time. The voice still sounded scared. Was she scared of Fang? Did something happen to the speaker and she wanted to talk to Fang? Questions could wait for later, Fang reasoned, and she continued to walk. Another object soared past her, cutting her leg this time. Fang winced and clutched the wound. The injury was tiny, a paper cut at best. Still, the tiny slash drew blood, and produced the same sharp, intense, and burning pain as before. _

_Fang shook her head. 'Look at me, holding onto my cuts and scrapes like a little baby.'_

_Resting her hands back at her side, Fang continued her journey. A lightbulb went off in her head, and Fang figured out where she was. She was dreaming, she realized. Looking back at the dreams she was recently experiencing, only one thing came to mind._

_Vanille._

"_Fang..."_

_The female, who Fang assumed was now Vanille, called out to Fang again. The voice was louder this time, and Fang felt like she was getting closer. A horrific, terrifying screech blasted into Fang's ears. Worse than all the others, it truly sounded like a dying animal was being tortured to death. The voice didn't sound scared anymore. It sounded...Angry? Fang heard the rustling of papers next._

_Another projectile zipped by Fang, cutting her shoulder. The pain was worse than before. Her body was wracked with the sharp, intense, and burning pain just like the last few strikes. It was still a tiny cut that drew blood, but it hurt like a mother fucker. The object didn't vanish like the others this time. The projectile, a simple slip of paper, had landed a few feet away from Fang. Picking up the neatly folded piece of paper, Fang unfolded it, and read the words._

"_**DIE.**" _

_The word was written in blood. Fresh blood, Fang noted seeing half of the word begin to run off the paper. She crumbled the piece of paper and threw it somewhere behind her. Her dreams had taken her along a similar path before...but this dream was of a whole different caliber. Fang looked up, and out of the mist came dozens of the slips of paper. They descended slowly to the ground, like a light feather or snowflakes. The ones that came into contact with Fang didn't hurt. She grabbed another piece of paper that was falling, and read it._

"_**DIE.**" Fang crumbled it up and threw it away. She grabbed another, and then another, and then another. After reading dozens of slips of paper falling from the misty ceiling, Fang gave up. They all said the same thing._

"_**DIE. DIE. DIE. DIE. DIE. DIE. DIE.**"_

_The amount of blood streaming off the papers began to form a tiny puddle. The more papers that fell from the sky, the more blood ran towards the puddle. The tiny pond of blood grew, calling the blood from the papers towards it. A few drops of Fang's blood even swam towards the mass of blood. The lake of sanguine began to bubble and churn, and ceased its constant growing. Clumps of the crimson fluid rose into the air and took shape. _

_A wooden desk rose out of the blood. Made out of plain old wood, the desk was something one would normally see a teacher use at a school. Dozens of stacks of clean, white paper cluttered the desk. Behind the desk, a comfy leather chair began to form out of the blood. This was the place where the papers were coming from, Fang concluded. Vanille, or someone else Fang desperately wished, was here writing those cryptic notes. _

_Finally, the mass of churning, bubbling blood produced its final creation. The blood took the form of Vanille, who was sitting comfortably on the chair. Fang was happy, for a moment. Her heart nearly skipped a beat when she saw her friend. But, Fang did a double take, and she realized what was really going on. _

_Vanille sat motionless on the chair, holding a slip of paper between her fingers. She was clothed in her original gear. Her skin was as white and pale as the papers littering the desk. Tiny streams of blood trickled from both ends of her lips. Crimson cascaded from Vanille's eyes, giving her the appearance that she was crying. Part of her neck was exposed, and Fang could see a large cut. The wound gushed blood, ruining her clothes. Blood also escaped from beneath her fingernails, which allowed Vanille to write on the paper without the use of a pencil or pen. Vanille's bloodshot eyes locked with Fang's dark emerald. Vanille smiled widely, happily showing off her blood stained teeth, while the blood from her mouth flowed in greater amounts. _

_She was thin, skeletal almost. Vanille's body seemed to twist and contort oddly. Her limbs moved as if someone else was controlling her. As if Vanille was simply a puppet. The younger woman stood up, walked across the desk, and landed next to Fang. Vanille kept the creepy full smile. Fang stood paralyzed, helpless against what was happening. She was utterly stunned. _

_Vanille cupped Fang's cheek, her other hand running through Fang's raven locks. Vanille caressed Fang...lovingly almost, and for a second, Fang was lost in her own little world. Vanille's lips moved slowly towards Fang's ear. She had to stand on her tip toes, but Vanille could reach. She blew lightly into Fang's ear. Her hot breath sent shivers down Fang's spine. Vanille's fingers gently began to stroke Fang's neck. _

"_Hi, Fang...Glad you can...make it." Vanille spoke, blowing more of her hot breath into Fang's ear. She was purposely trying to get her own blood onto Fang. Her red tongue gently probed Fang's ear, covering the insides with a healthy coating of blood mixed with Vanille's saliva. Fang felt like Vanille was trying to seduce her, and if it weren't for the blood flowing down her skin, it might have been working. _

_Still, each touch was electrifying. Vanille's hot breath sent shivers down Fang's spine. Each time her nail lightly grazed Fang's neck felt like little pinpricks of ecstasy. Fang's skin felt hypersensitive. Vanille tightened her hold on Fang, clutching the back of her head and bringing her closer. Fang was spellbound, her body willingly melting into Vanille's embrace. Her mind was torn between disgusted and creeped out, or loving every second of it. _

_Fang didn't no what to say. Vanille didn't care, she just kept doing what she was doing. Fang felt her sense of right and wrong slipping. In the end, Fang reasoned that it didn't matter at this point. Her body was still paralyzed, entirely submissive to Vanille. The younger woman was in a trance-like state. If she wasn't stroking Fang's neck or running her fingers through Fang's hair, Vanille was probing Fang with her tongue. _

_Vanille's tongue darted erratically. She would explore Fang's inner ear for a moment, constantly licked and lapping. When it was covered in blood and saliva, Vanille would move on to Fang's shoulder, or her cheek. It only took a few minutes before Fang herself was covered in blood. _

_Vanille backed away, reviewing her work. A good part of Fang's face was completely covered with fresh blood. Fang was still staring at Vanille, eyes locked and frightened. She looked like a deer caught in the gaze of a headlight. Vanille moved in to plant a kiss on Fang's lips. Fang's mind went blank, her heart stopped beating, and her breathing ceased. She snapped back to reality, when she realized that the ever flowing blood from Vanille's mouth was filling her own. Fang couldn't spit it out. She had to swallow the blood. _

"_I love you." Vanille whispered, breaking off the kiss. _

_Vanille's sharp nails dug into the tender flesh of Fang's neck. Her hand moved deeper, and then pulled, ripping a large chunk of Fang's neck into Vanille's palm. _

"_I love you so much."_

* * *

**Sixteen days after the events of Paddra...(By the way, Chapter Eight was happening during the second part of Chapter Seven. Back to the story!)**

Fang's eyes shot open, allowing the bright sunlight to practically blind her. She had trouble breathing, her lungs only allowing shallow ragged gasps. Her heart was pounding, her head was throbbing, and it seemed that the whole world was spinning. To top it off, Fang couldn't shake the copper taste she had on her tongue. Covering her eyes, Fang took a deep breath and remained motionless.

_It was only a dream. It was only a dream. It was only a dream._

Fang kept repeating the same sentence over to herself. She let her mind return to normalcy and her body calm itself. She rubbed her eyes and exhaled, feeling back from the brink of death.

Fang opened her eyes and gasped. Vanille was sitting a ways in front of her, perched on a tree stump.

_It was only a dream. It was only a dream. It was only a dream._

"Good. It's about time you got up."

Fang shook her head, still a little woozy from sleep. For some odd reason, she couldn't remember if it was daytime or nighttime. Her sleep pattern had gotten so screwed up that the days seemed to blend together. Fang found it hard to tell when one day ended and the next began.

Fang had carried Vanille all the way out of Paddra. For days, Vanille remained unconscious in Fang's arms. Fang fed Vanille the Potion Lightning had given her, its effects working like a charm. Vanille's head wound was healed, and it didn't seem as of she sustained any brain damage. Fang had a few scrapes and bruises, but nothing to cry over. Food hadn't been a problem. Fang was a born hunter, easily able to tackle almost any creature Gran Pulse could throw at her.

Unfortunately, _Vanille,_ was a different story. As the days passed, things were awkward between Fang and Vanille. Fang would typically broach a subject to Vanille, who would rudely shoot it down. She got no answers she hadn't heard from the redhead back in Paddra. Fang's attempts at rescuing Vanille's memories became futile, backing up the theory that Vanille had her memory erased and replaced.

Vanille acted like a completely different person to Fang. She told Fang she was a girl who was raised in Eden, who volunteered to become a Project to serve Cocoon. Fang couldn't tell if Vanille's hunting skills remained, since the younger girl outright refused to search for something to eat. Fang would led it slide. Events of the past few days aside, Fang still loved Vanille, so she'd be willing to do things for her.

Same body, different person, Fang reasoned. She was surprised that she could take all this so well. Especially after what Vanille had said...

"_Whoa, I don't swing that way sister..."_

Those words hurt Fang worse than any wound she received before. Her heart shattered into thousands of little pieces, left to be stepped on when Vanille would abuse her again. But...Fang still had hope. It wasn't the Vanille she knew and loved, the new Vanille was different. Fang still had hope that she could bring Vanille back to her former self.

"H-huh? Wha...?" Fang mumbled and yawned.

Vanille got to her feet and stormed over to Fang. She was angry again. The last few days were...tense, to say the least. The redhead got annoyed very quickly, and didn't like Fang speaking that much. It had grown to the point where Vanille would get annoyed just by the sound of Fang's voice. Vanille was through with Fang's constant questioning. She felt like she was being interrogated. Eventually, Fang would take the hint and stop talking. It just made Fang feel worse to see what was becoming of Vanille.

"Wake up! You need to get me over the next ridge, remember?" Vanille said, shaking Fang.

Vanille pushed Fang to the ground and continued walking on her own. By losing her memory, Vanille didn't know a thing about Gran Pulse. Without her helmet, she couldn't contact her buddies at PSICOM either. Fang solved that problem by throwing Vanille's helmet into a lake, and stashing her own helmet just in case she ever did need it. Fang had to lead Vanille, and Vanille said she had wanted to meet up with PSICOM at base camp. Fang had simply nodded and began walking at the time. She had lied, leading Vanille completely astray from the base camp. Fang led Vanille out of the Yaschas Massif about a week ago. The two journeyed across the Steppe, and was en route to Oerba, only a day or two away. The closest city before Oerba, New Bodhum, was in sight. Fang hoped, that when Vanille returned to Oerba, all of her memories would return.

But Gran Pulse had changed over the past three years. The land became more civilized, and more urbanized. She reasoned that over the time she had been a crystal, thousands of survivors were leaving Cocoon for Pulse. Those people must have helped rebuilding the old cities, and even creating new ones. Pulse didn't magically become a thriving society. Even with thousands of people out to help, they couldn't build great cities in only three years. During their travels, Fang could see that the people of Pulse had enlisted the help of the fal'Cie. The fal'Cie aided the humans, providing good farmland and and areas away from dangerous animals to build their great bastions. Fang couldn't understand why the fal'Cie were helping the humans now, when five hundred years ago, the only thing the fal'Cie did was make more l'Cie.

"What? You woke up right at the best part of a dream? Well, I don't care. Get off your ass and move." Vanille said bluntly, looking over her shoulder to observe Fang.

Fang growled quietly and stood up, scolding herself for falling asleep in her Project suit. Fang was a apprehensive about getting up and walking, repeating what Vanille told her to herself. Was it a dream? A vision of things to come? Fang didn't know. But more importantly, she was getting a little pissed off Vanille at this point.

Fang cautiously walked towards Vanille, a mildly angry expression on the redheads face. Fang responded with a blank stare, bottling what she wanted to say inside her. That bottle was nearing its breaking point.

Thankfully, they were on the outskirts of a town, or small city. The road was in sight, but the traveling pair couldn't use it. Fang wouldn't allow Vanille to be seen, she had to be safe. Cars would periodically drive by, but no one would could spot Fang and Vanille from so far away. Nearing the city limits, small stores and other buildings could be seen. In the distance, Fang could see one particular store that caught her eye. Steering Vanille in the stores direction, Fang read aloud:

"The Rift, a Unisexual Clothing Store." Vanille nodded slowly and gave Fang a 'so what?' look.

"We're getting clothes. This bulky suit is driving me nuts."

After waiting for a guy on a motorcycle to pass, Fang made her way across the street. Vanille followed, dragged to the other side of the road by Fang. The redhead was resilient and stubborn, insisting on not going into the clothing store. Their time together just made things worse. To Fang, it seemed that Vanille acted really stuck up. Vanille was just annoyed by Fang's mere presence. If Vanille was her former self, Fang probably would have heeded her request, but not this time. It had been three years and and probably two weeks since she last had a bath, and Fang at least wanted some clean clothes to feel like she was sanitary.

Pushing Vanille through the double-doors, Fang walked into the store. The building was small, but the its practical design made up for it. The cashier was in the front, right next to the entrance. The cashier, a tired looking guy with a mop of messy black hair and a muscle shirt, was lazily fingering through a magazine. He didn't pay much attention to his new customers. Fitting rooms were in the back, and from a quick look around, Fang reasoned that the store was void of other customers.

It dawned on her that on Cocoon the people shopped online, and Fang noticed a distinct lack of that judging from the looks of the city. She assumed that the Pulsian survivors simply did not have the functioning technology to reach the level of Cocoon's society. Furthermore, it dawned on Fang that neither of them had any money. PSICOM never gave her any gil, and it wasn't like Fang was scavenging around Paddra for loot. With Vanille in her arms and probably dying, Fang couldn't focus on a few shiny coins.

Vanille groaned, obviously not wanting to be here. With a small wave, she wandered off into an isle to find something decent to wear. Fang went into a different isle, but kept a watchful eye on the younger girl. To her distaste, Fang couldn't find anything she really liked. Oerban fashion had died over five hundred years ago, and it didn't seem like the new inhabitants of Pulse were going to honor her culture.

Grabbing a large pile of clothes, Fang made her way to the fitting room. Clothes would help them blend into society better, since they would easily stick out like a sore thumb with their suits on. The idea of how they were going to leave the store with the clothes without money still haunted Fang, though. With no money, how would they get the clothes?

Fang concluded that she would have to steal the clothes. Shaking that feeling off for later, Fang started trying on different outfits.

A few moments later, Fang checked herself out at the mirror. She decided that a black, sleeveless shirt would work well to cover up her brand. She also put on a black, studded belt around a pair of dark green shorts that reached to her knees. She slipped her feet into some black sandals. Fang frowned at herself through the mirror. Something, she thought, was missing. Throwing a dark green sash over her shoulder, Fang's new outfit was complete.

She felt a little strange, the new clothing making Fang feel out of place. Walking out of the fitting room, she saw Vanille, waiting for her. She stood casually by the wall, resuming her annoyed mood when she noticed Fang had finished. Vanille was wearing a black T-shirt and jeans. Probably guy clothes, Fang assumed. Vanille had a pair of black and white striped sneakers on, and a navy blue cap on her head.

"How do I look?" Vanille asked, not really looking for an answer. After eyeing Fang up and down, she turned and began to walk.

Grabbing her spear she placed by the wall, Fang slung the spear through the sash across her back. She picked up a few pieces of the PSICOM suit she was previously wearing, making sure the helmet was safely hidden from Vanille.

Now Fang had to come face to face with the problem. Should she just run out? Certainly the two of them could escape the cashier. No...he would call the Guardian Corps, or some other police organization that the Pulsians used. The cashier didn't look at her and Vanille, so maybe they could just walk out and claim they hadn't purchased anything. Those ink theft-prevention tags would be a problem though...

Convince him to give them the clothes? That could work, Fang theorized. She could always dish out some of the old feminine charm.

Fang followed Vanille back to the entrance. She kept thinking to herself to play things cool, and nothing bad would happen. Exactly as planned, the two were stopped.

"Hey, uhh...You two need to pay for those clothes." the cashier said, looking up from his magazine.

Fang slowly made her way to the counter. Trying to make the best puppy eyed face she could, which was really, really hard, Fang spoke.

"Oh, come on...My friend and I don't have any money to pay for these clothes. Could you give them to us for free, pweease?" Fang implored, finding it difficult to pout and sound needy.

The cashier raised an eyebrow, slightly covered by his messy black hair. Grabbing the key he had around his wrist, the cashier opened up a drawer behind the counter. Fumbling around inside the drawer, Fang couldn't see what the younger man was up to. Her eyes caught the magazine the kid was reading. The _Guy __Fantasy_ _Monthly_ magazine was shoved to the other end of the counter, the cashier obviously not caring who saw it. While the cashier, who was probably only around sixteen or seventeen years old, was doing something Fang couldn't see inside the drawer of the counter. Using the distraction, Fang reached over and grabbed the magazine.

"Sorry, but I can't give you free—Hey! What are you doing with _my_ magazine?" the cashier demanded, his head snapping back to attention after pressing a button beneath the counter.

Fang leaned in close, placing a hand lightly on the kids bicep. She squeezed a little, and rubbed the muscle, grinning at the cashier.

"Come on...My friend and I really need these clothes. Will you please give them to us, you big, strong man?" Fang's lips formed a crooked smile, trying her best to persuade the kid. She hated every second of it.

She held up the magazine, and pointed to the woman on the cover.

"Without these clothes, we'd be running around naked. You wouldn't want that...Unless, you _do_ want to see us naked..." Fang winked at the cashier. She pointed to the woman depicted on the magazine again. Obviously naked, her hands trying to cover up breasts larger than her own head. The kid smiled, finally catching on.

"Hmm...I don't know. Maybe if your friend over there would ask really nicely."

Vanille, who was silently leaning against the wall the entire time, was now at full attention. Her eyes widened and locked on the young cashier. She raised her left arm, uncovering the gauntlet beneath tons of randomly colored bracelets. Fang was happy that Vanille at least kept that trait. A cord of razor wire, with a ball attached on each end shot out of her gauntlet, taking the kid by surprise. The cord wrapped around his neck, digging in and sending him to the ground.

"Go to hell, ya cunt." Vanille laughed, covering up her gauntlet with the mismatched jewelry. She looked at Fang and snarled. Fang, on the hand, was stunned, mouth agape. Vanille clapped her hands together, satisfied.

"Well, that solves that problem. Why didn't you just kill him or knock him out? We could have avoided that whole situation.

Fang scolded herself for her stupidity. She should have just did what she does best: beat the crap out of people. But, knowing her luck, the Guardian Corps would arrive. Looking at the magazine one last time before throwing it away, Fang read the date:

_Day Twenty-Two, Month Seven, Year Three. New Bodhum._

Fang nodded slowly to herself, making her way out the door without giving a word to Vanille. They were in New Bodhum, that city Lightning, Snow, and Serah used to live in back on Cocoon, Fang thought to herself. It had been sixteen days since Paddra, so Fang doubted that it wouldn't be long until she ran into Lightning and the others again.

Vanille stopped Fang, pointing down the road.

"Look. There's some flashing lights coming towards us."

Fang scanned the street. Those flashing lights were coming closer and closer. She could see that there were cars heading towards them. Fang grabbed Vanille and ran down an alleyway, barely missing the Guardian Corps cars that passed.

She was right, the Guardian Corps was here. They stopped at the store, and a few soldiers got out to investigate. Fang had to get her and Vanille out of here. She looked around the dirty, disgusting alleyway. There was a dumpster, which they could use to hide, Fang thought. A few trash cans, and a broken pipe were close too. Near the end of the alley Fang saw a wire fence dividing the nearby forest and the city limits.

"Come on," Fang said, grabbing Vanille's arm. "we're hopping the fence."

"What? No!" Vanille responded, stopping dead in her tracks. "We can hide."

Fang shook her head and grabbed Vanille again. "Listen to me, I know what I'm doing."

"No! I know you're wrong! If you weren't such an idiot, you could see that we-"

Fang interrupted Vanille, picking her up and throwing her over the fence by force. Landing beside the redhead, Fang held out a hand to Vanille, trying to help her up. Vanille growled, which Fang previously thought was impossible for Vanille to do, and pushed her hand away. She stood up and started walking.

"I don't need your help, Naga." Vanille said, taking the lead, not looking back to see if Fang was following.

Fang laughed and dusted herself off. She turned her head around, taking one last glance at the alleyway and the shop. They weren't being followed, thank the Maker. She followed after Vanille, who was obviously pissed off.

Fang felt conflicted. She would never try to purposely make Vanille angry, but it seemed by just being around her made the redhead upset. But...Fang wasn't talking to the real Vanille. This Vanille was different: no whimsical charm, no dance in her step or randomly humming. This new Vanille was just...angry. Fang remained steadfast. The Vanille she knew and loved was in there somewhere, and she'd bring her back, no matter the cost. She had no idea how to return her memories to Vanille. If being around her didn't work, knowing their history together, Fang didn't know what would help Vanille. In the mean time, Fang went into overdrive. The new Vanille wasn't accustomed to Pulse, so it was up to Fang to ensure both of them would survive.

"I told you, my name is Fang, and your name-"

"Shut it, _Naga. _When I scanned you, it said your name was Naga, so that's what I'm calling you. And don't even start with that Vanille crap. My name is Myst." Vanille countered, brushing a few branches and leaves out of her way as she made her way into the forest.

"I know your name is Vanille. You lost your memory, and it was replaced with something PSICOM gave ya, okay?" Fang responded, still trying to remain polite. Vanille stopped walking, her head fuming.

"Will you _please _shut the fuck up already? Can't you see that I'm not going to buy into your crap? Why does it matter to you who the hell I am? I don't even know you."

It was Fang's turn to be angry. Everything she tried to bottle inside was about to burst. Waving her arms around for emphasis, Fang yelled:

"Why does it matter to me? Why does it matter to _me?_ I'm the one who rescued you from Paddra! You were out cold from that guys attack! And...and...Why is it so hard for you to remember? We both grew up in the orphanage in Oerba, _on _Pulse. You would crawl into my bed to sleep with me for crying out loud! Don't you remember? We became l'Cie over five hundred years ago! I became Ragnarok, and then we woke up on Cocoon. Don't you remember Lighting? Or Snow? Or even Sazh?"

"The only Lighting I know is the one I need to kill..." Vanille muttered. Fang closed the distance between the two and grabbed Vanille by the shoulders.

"I'm not letting you out of my sight, ya hear?" Fang said, giving Vanille a shake. "Until I get your memories back, you'll be staying with me."

Vanille slipped herself out of Fang's grasp, and turned on her heel. She strode aimlessly deeper into the forest, not even bothering to look back at Fang.

"Oh no you don't! You can't handle yourself out there!" Fang cried out, running after the redhead.

"See? What you just said is how I am so annoyed by you! I can handle myself! I can make my own decisions, and I don't need you taking care of me like I'm a child."

"No you can't. You can't handle yourself on Pulse without me, Vanille. Without your memory, you don't have the fighting skills you need to survive here."

Vanille gave Fang the middle finger and turned around to face her again. She placed her hands on her hips, a vain attempt to look intimidating.

"Memory, memory, memory! Have you ever stopped to think why, after all of your attempts, that your _precious_ Vanille hasn't come back? Hell, maybe she doesn't want to come back! I sure as hell wouldn't after putting up with you. Or maybe, she just wasn't the person you really knew. I'm here now, and that's all you're going to get. Deal with it."

Fang's eye twitched. Doubts flooded her mind. Maybe Vanille really didn't like her? Maybe Vanille is better off gone than having to stay in this wretched, war-torn world. No! Vanille was still in there, somewhere...Fang hoped.

"Now fuck off. I want to be alone." Vanille snapped.

"Oh, real mature! How about you stop acting like a spoiled brat! All you've been doing these past sixteen days was yell at me! I nursed you back to health! I fed you, protected you, and made sure you would be okay. Why? Because I fucking love you!" Fang retorted, trying to feel as angry as she sounded.

"How about you stop acting like my mom? I can handle myself!"

Fang growled. "You don't have a mom! She's dead! You and I are orphans!" Fang countered.

"Just leave me alone!" Vanille yelled, trying to kill Fang with her stare. Fang didn't back down.

"No. If you want to be left alone, you'll have to go through me!" Fang challenged.

_What am I doing? I'm not going to hurt Vanille! So why the hell did I just say that?_

Vanille called Fang's bluff. She cracked her knuckles, full intention of fighting Fang. With her right arm raised towards Fang, Vanille pressed a button on her right gauntlet. Four, whip-like cords were launched out of the gauntlet. Spikes at the end of the cords were used to imbed themselves inside the target. Despite realizing that it was Vanille who was attacking her, Fang's warrior instincts kicked in. With one swift movement, Fang sidestepped the attack, brandished her spear, and with a spin, cut the cords in midair.

Vanille charged forward, using her left gauntlet to fire two razor wire cords with balls attached on each end. Fang rolled out of the way, and formed a defensive stance. She refused to go on the offensive. She would never physically hurt Vanille. Even if she was different.

Vanille's hand rose, conjuring a blue sphere of water. The orb grew in size, and Vanille threw it at Fang. Drawing energy from her brand, Fang created her Inertial Barrier. The translucent pattern of hexagonal tiles surrounded Fang, blocking the water spell, and leaving Fang unharmed.

Vanille leaped into the air, only a few yards away from Fang at this point. Fang rose her spear horizontally, using it to defend herself against Vanille's next attack. The redhead emitted a strange, bright green glow, matching her eyes. Her body radiated a bright jade, and then disappeared. Along with Vanille's body.

Vanille's body transformed into a mass of swirling mist and fog. To Fang's astonishment, she could see the faint outline of Vanille's falling body. Vanille collided into Fang, the mist-woman now weightless, and passed straight through Fang's body. The fog enveloped Fang for a moment, before Vanille became corporeal again. She was behind Fang now.

Before Fang could completely turn around, Vanille shoved her into a tree. Taking her by surprise, Vanille launched another two razor wire cords at Fang from her left gauntlet. The balls attached to the cords wrapped around Fang's wrists and ankles, cutting the skin. The cords had tied Fang to the tree behind her, and left her arms and legs immobile.

Vanille chuckled silently and clapped her hands together, the rush of adrenaline beginning to fade. She won the fight, not like it was a true fight to begin with. She dusted herself off, and turned to leave.

"Good. I'm glad I could get my point across. I'll be going now, and you'll be staying here. I don't need you. I never needed you. Frankly, I doubt the Vanille you've been talking about all this time didn't need you either, so I guess-"

"Well I needed her!" Fang shouted.

"Don't you remember our promise? We promised to be together forever..." Fang stuttered, her eyes on the verge of tears. She had only cried once in front of Vanille, and vowed that she would never let the girl see herself in such a weak state ever again. But now, it seemed that everything was falling apart.

"I promised I would keep you safe. Even before I...fell in love with you. I promised you, you would never be hurt again."

Vanille turned to give one last time to Fang, looking intently into her dark emerald eyes. Her own stern, light jade eyes were dull at the moment. Vanille was annoyed.

"I told you this at Paddra, but I guess I'll have to tell you again. I. Don't. Swing. That. Way. I'm not into you, and I'm not into girls. I _hate _you. Get that through her thick skull, bitch." Vanille turned on her heel and kept walking.

The tears were flowing now, and Fang hung her head. Without Vanille, Fang didn't have much of a reason to live.

_I'm...pathetic. I'm pathetic to think that I could return Vanille to how she was before. I'm...I'm done. _

Fang howled, an animal mourning over its mate or child. She was finished. The will to live was slowly fading.

Vanille didn't make it very far, when a monster had arrived. Drawn to the sounds of the previous fight, a rather large Behemoth roamed into the small clearing where Fang and Vanille were. It sniffed the air, smelling the blood dripping down Fang's wrists and ankles. The Behemoth bypassed Vanille, who didn't seem to care about the Behemoth's presence, and made its way towards Fang.

The raven-haired woman didn't even look up. Fang paid no heed to the advancing Behemoth. Why should she? Her life was hallow now anyways.

The Behemoth stood up onto its hind legs. The beast raised its claws, ready to tear the tree, and Fang, to shreds.

* * *

"_This way, Fang!" a younger Vanille shouted towards her companion. She scampered through the the fields of white lilies and roses, eager to reach the bottom of the mountain before her friend. _

"_I'm coming! I'm the one carrying all these mushrooms, ya know!" Fang replied, the baskets of mushrooms weighing much more than Fang had expected. _

_Fang had pointed out to Vanille that there was a shortcut back to Oerba. All they had to do was head down the mountain and Oerba would be a short swim away. Vanille laughed and turned to Fang, flashing the older girl a smile. She had just reached the top of the mountain, and was looking for the path down._

"_Wow! Look, Fang! Look!" Vanille exclaimed, standing completely still at the mountains peak. A few moments later, Fang joined her._

_At the top of the mountain, Fang and Vanille could see the entire world of Gran Pulse beneath them. Only the colossal Taejin's Tower, standing intact in all its glory, stood above them. _

_Fang reached an arm over Vanille's shoulder, who inched closer to Fang's warmth. She always ran a few degrees hotter then everyone else, Vanille thought. _

_All of Gran Pulse was laid out before them. The long winding rivers, the verdant, sprawling forests, and the wide open plains of the Steppe miles away. The sun showered the two girls in its orange rays. The sky was flushed with the golds and reds of the sunset. Only Cocoon could rival the sun, and the viper's nest floated opposite the star. _

_Fang smiled, and pulled Vanille onto her lap, continuing to gaze at the wondrous landscape below them while they laid in the grass. Both of them were proud of their home. _

_Vanille's open hand reached out, and Fang enclosed her hand around Vanille's. Their hands squeezed, and Fang smiled at Vanille. They had only recently escaped an attack by a particularly vicious Behemoth. In an attempt to protect Vanille, Fang pushed her out of the way. The monster had managed to get its claws on Fang's back before the two of them made a run for it. Vanille smiled at Fang._

_Vanille leaned closer, and ever so innocently placed her soft lips on Fang's. Her first kiss._

"_Thank you."_

_

* * *

_

"Wake up." Vanille instructed, her sneakers tapping against Fang's arm.

Fang's eyes shuddered, trying to adjust to the light of the setting sun. For a moment, she forget where she was, and smiled at Vanille. Then she remembered the Behemoth, and her body snapped into action.

She sat upright, her eyes scanning the surroundings. They were somewhere else now.

Vanille nodded at Fang and sat down at the edge of the mountain, her feet dangling.

_She must have taken care of the Behemoth...and brought me here. _

Fang looked towards the horizon, and gasped.

They were on the top of the world. The highest point on Gran Pulse. Able to see the land in all its majesty. The last three years had changed Pulse. Oerba, Paddra, Haerri, New Bodhum, and New Nautilus had all been built. Gran Pulse was becoming industrialized.

The long winding rivers that meandered across Gran Pulse had diminished. Most were being used as canals, or to power the nearby cities and small collections of buildings that the Nomads had built randomly.

The verdant, sprawling forests were being cut down. Fang didn't like it, but it was necessary. The humans needed lumber. Still, the once beautiful world Fang lived in was slowly being marred.

The wide open plains of the Steppe remained the same. Most humans didn't build there. The oretoises grazed on the Steppe, and they meant trouble.

"Thanks." Fang mumbled, giving a small nod to Vanille.

Turning to Fang, Vanille flashed a small smile. She eyed Fang up and down, wanting to speak, but hesitating. Vanille looked away, to stare at the toppled Taejin's Tower. Fang went back to gazing down upon the rolling landscape below.

"Why did you save me?" Fang asked, adjusting her position so her legs dangled off the side of the mountain like Vanille's.

"I had a feeling something like this had happened before. A really long time ago." Vanille replied.

The two remained silent. As the minutes passed, they listened to the sound of the wind, and the birds. The setting sun gave Vanille an orange glow.

"She must have been beautiful." Vanille broke the silence, not exactly looking for an answer.

"She still is." Fang replied.

Vanille turned back towards Fang, giving the raven-haired woman another smile. Her light jade eyes sparkled.

"Tell me about her, Fang."


	12. Chapter 10

**A/N: Here's the next installment in Awake! I will, however, dedicate Chapter Nine (The only chapter with Fang and Vanille in it in Act II) to the friendly folks at /u/. Hopefully I can be exempt from the rules this one time, okay? :D**

**More Blaze action in this chapter. You get to see how...special...Blaze really is. Based on the three responses, :(, it seems that people want Blaze to encounter the Maker. So I'll be sure to have that it when Act III comes around, or I might put it in the finale of Act II. **

**Like the other chapters so far, this is another disturbing one. I never said my story would be all sugars and rainbows, did I? **

**Awake**

**Chapter Ten: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? **

_

* * *

Blaze sat down in a comfortably padded wooden chair. He was sitting at a long, wooden conference desk, with other wooden chairs surrounding the it. The red haired man was clothed in a white T-shirt and and baggy pants; looking a little out of place with those around him. _

_Joining Blaze in the conference room, were about five other figures. The other five were dressed in formal attire: black business suits and ties. Their cuffed hands were all behind their respective backs, and they chose to stand, instead of using the seats designated for them. Each person had no head, and no other body part was visible, giving the illusion that they were invisible beneath the clothing. There were question marks on their ties. _

_Lucifer, or as Blaze called his Eidolon, Lucy, glided past Blaze. The floating skull fit itself nicely atop one of the standing businessmen, and stared at Blaze, the Eidolon's soulless eyes sparked with green eldritch flame. Everyone remained silent, which bored Blaze half to death. _

_Looking around, it seemed as if he was in an office building. There was a door connecting the room he was to whatever lay outside, but it was closed at the moment. The ceiling, floor, and walls were pained a drab palish. The walls were bare, but it seemed as if artwork or something else had once hung upon them. The opposite wall was a window, giving Blaze and the others a splendid view of the city outside. The city was silent. There were no cars traveling upon the roads, and Blaze couldn't see anyone in the office building across the street. Blaze was at the head of the conference table, where a large flatscreen television was set up behind him. _

_For the moment, Blaze didn't receive the feeling that everything around him was...a little odd. He couldn't seem to remember how he had gotten here. _

"_So...what's going on, Lucy?" Blaze asked, tapping his fingers against the polished wooden desk. _

"_You're dreaming at the moment, Edgar. My Lady has blessed you with another gift. Things are being sorted out right now." The skull responded. The mouth didn't move, but Blaze could hear the Eidolon's words ringing in his ears, loud and clear. The accent-less, genderless, voice always sounded same. _

"_Oh? What happened?" he asked, interlocking his fingers with both hands. He adjusted himself into a more focused position. _

_Lucy's eyes flared for a second, the green fire flittering in the air inside the Eidolon's eye sockets. Lucy began to regale Blaze with the tale of what had happened over the past sixteen days or so. _

"_First, you were on the Narthex, remember?" Blaze nodded, and Lucy continued. "The Narthex was where you encountered Barthandelus, a nasty fal'Cie that you had a run in with nearly nineteen years back. He gave you a taste of your past, providing you with the vision of you and those other losers who had attempted to kill him. After watching Penelope, Poe, Otto, Kaya, and Journey get their asses kicked, the vision ended."_

"_Back in the present, you yourself charged Barthandelus head on. You got in a few good attacks, but ultimately died. In the Void, My Lady explained your Focus to you, but more on that later. There's a few other things I need to tell you."_

_Blaze nodded again, and raised his legs onto the conference table in a relaxing position. Lucy sighed. _

"_The Goddess Etro brought you back to life, and we entered Gestalt. We destroyed Barthandelus' physical form, but since we're not Ragnarok, he'll be back soon. He can't leave the Orphan shard or he'll die, so we will be fine for now. After the explosion sent you soaring out of the Nascent Throne and the Narthex, the Goddess Etro helped you out once more."_

"_Since you so desperately desire to see the Maker, she presented you with a riddle. More on that later, I'll tell you the more important things now." Lucy said, the skull seeming to be scanning the room instead of directly looking at Blaze._

"_Since then, it has been sixteen days. My Lady blessed you for a third time, and provided you with a place to go to. She has brought you to Pulse." _

_Blaze nearly fell out of the chair he was in. Regaining his sense of balance, Blaze stared at Lucy with widened and astonished eyes. "What? I'm on Pulse?" _

"_Yes." Lucy answered. "Unfortunately, Her trajectory was a little off. You landed in some city, instead of Taejins' Tower. I've put you in a temporary coma over the past sixteen days. You landed somewhere fairly unsuspecting. I'm sure most people will think you're homeless or something. No one has yet to disturb you, but the Goddess Etro told me that you will be meeting a few people—" _

_Blaze eyed the four other suited, headless figured standing around the conference tables. "What's with these guys?" Blaze questioned, interrupting Lucy. _

"_Uh...This is your dream world, Edgar. We're in the material form of your will. These guys, this whole room, the entire city outside, it's all figments of your imagination. Will them away if you wish to do so."_

_Blaze closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He remained perfectly still, until the need to exhale overcame him. Letting the air escape, Blaze opened his eyes. He was no longer in the conference room, but on top of the office building itself. Wind whipped through his hair, the powerful gusts of air still powerless to disturb Lucy's flight. The Eidolon was now levitating before Blaze, the suit had disappeared, along with the others. _

"_Now, do you remember your plan?" Lucy inquired. "Yeah, we lay low for awhile. We avoid the military, and I train my powers. Finally, I destroy Ark, and kill Lucas. After that, I'll sort out this Focus crap."_

_Blaze turned to gaze out at the sprawling city around him. The buildings near the city limits looked the worst. The concrete structures were crumbling, half-destroyed shells of their brethren. Some chunks of the buildings were ripped right out and remained floating in air. Blaze grew tense at the sight, familiar feelings rippling through him. Without the medicine, old impulses would creep their way into Blaze's head. He didn't press the matter, and remained staring at the horizon. The deterioration of each building spread like a plague, and Blaze realized that the only building in perfect condition was the one he and Lucy were on. _

"_There were other things too, Edgar. You wanted to figure out where you had came from, and what happened to you before becoming a l'Cie. Before you became a Project. You're twenty-eight now, so I'm sure you're old enough to look for the answers without crying to me."_

_Blaze yawned. It was always the same. At this point, it had seemed that he was honing his entire life into a sword that will be driven through Lucas' heart. He could only remember the one year he had spent in the holding cell, a brief moment when he was ten and fighting Barthandelus in the Narthex. He hated that this 'Maker' that everyone was talking about was supposed to provide salvation for the fal'Cie. Well where was his salvation? Blaze hated that the reason for his existence was to kill the Maker. His life felt...empty, and unfulfilled. He desired a different purpose. Blaze desired the ability to make his own choices. When he finds the Maker, Blaze would have questions. _

_If I could find him, Blaze thought to himself. The Goddess Etro had provided him with some sort of riddle, but he had yet to decipher the cryptic message. He honestly had no idea what the hell it meant. _

"_Hey, Lucy. What's the deal with the riddle Etro gave me?" he asked, letting his legs dangle over the edge of the building. _

"_I have no idea. My Lady kept it as much of a secret to you as to me. Just because I'm one of the Goddess Etro's Messengers, doesn't mean I'm in My Lady's inner circle. But She said it would better help you understand what the Maker truly is, so it's vital we discover the answer."_

"_I am what you cannot be, but you once were what I will become. _

_I am what only blind can see, and of infinity and one, I am the sum._

_I am the cure, and I am the cancer..."_

"_If you can answer this riddle, you will understand."_

_Blaze was stumped. He entertained the idea that the answer was death. But he argued that if he once were dead, that would mean there would be a cycle of reincarnation. He figured that was wrong, as all souls of the deceased travel into the Void, and subsequently pass through the Door. He reasoned that the Goddess Etro couldn't die, as she was a divine creature, and was the Goddess of the Dead anyway. Lucy had told him that people near death can see the Goddess Etro, but Blaze couldn't tell how he could be blind, or what he'd be to blind to see, when near death. _

_Above all, Blaze had no idea what death had to do with better understanding the Maker. Unless, of course, the Maker was dead, having past through the Door as well. _

"_Edgar." Lucy asked, the Eidolon's voice trailing on. Blaze exited his trance of deep thought and turned to look at Lucy. _

"_You're Focus is to prevent the humans from getting killed by Omega, Shinryu, and Gilgamesh. You, and the other five Projects, need to save the human race. But, killing those three will just make it easier for PSICOM to wipe out the Pulsians, and ride the waves of souls on Ark. I have no idea what they plan on doing with the Maker once they pass through the Door."_

_Blaze shook his head and agreed. He sighed, knowing that the days ahead were going to be rough. He had less then a decade left to live, unless he used his powers, then it would be even shorter. He looked out on the horizon again, gazing at the crumbling, dying buildings. _

"_I know. So I'll kill 'em. What's the big deal about them anyway?"_

_Lucy's hallow voice echoed inside Blaze's head. The Eidolon sounded like it was laughing. Being a creature from the Void, Blaze thought Lucy ought to know something about them._

"_Omega: A beast without a soul. Omega is a spider-like robot. It is a super weapon. Omega has the ability to travel through the Void, just like Shinryu and Gilgamesh. The Void is an empty dimension, occupied only by the Goddess Etro and her Messengers. Those who are powerful enough to enter the Void only do so to travel to a different world, or a different time. Omega was created by an ancient civilization, tasked with the destruction of a similar powerful entity: Shinryu. It is a learning, growing entity, nearly alive. I have only seen it once, and the sheer power emanating from Omega was enough to cause violent tremors in the Void."_

"_So I'll kill the big hunk of scrap metal. Case closed." Blaze replied. The beast sounded frightening, terrifying even. Regardless, Blaze didn't really seem to care. It was just another enemy he needed to destroy that stood between him, and Lucas. The green sparks of fire from Lucy's eye sockets flickered._

"_Shinryu is an ancient dragon that dwells within the Void. He and Omega are locked in eternal combat. Neither able to defeat the other. Shinryu will typically follow Omega wherever the beast goes, and vice versa. Last time I saw the dragon, he was having an argument with Bahamut."_

_Blaze snickered and flashed Lucy a half-smile. "I'll let Fang take care of that one. Lucas once told me that Fang was able to summon Bahamut, so I'm sure he will be itching to fight Shinryu."_

"_The last is Gilgamesh. I don't know of any relation between him and Omega or Shinryu, but the Goddess Etro did say the three arrive on Pulse by mistake. He is on a constant quest for the legendary sword, Excalibur. He can supposedly morph, and he tends to feign defeat."_

_Blaze nodded and stood up. He shook his tired legs and cracked his knuckles. "So I'll kill him too. No biggie."_

"_You need to put more thought into these things, Edgar. I can give you the power, but you are the one to use it. My Lady did more than just heal your left arm and cure your left eye's blindness. She stabilized your powers. Now you'll be able to function around in society without burning everything to the ground."_

_Blaze chuckled softly to himself. The Goddess Etro really did help him out. He would be sure to repay the favor, any way he could. _

"_Now, you do know what's going to happen before Omega, Shinryu, and Gilgamesh are summoned, right?" Lucy asked, the Eidolon sounding a little fed up with all the explanations. _

_Blaze shrugged. "Hell if I know. All I want to do is get to Lucas, so my efforts will be focused on that."_

"_No, you idiot." Lucy retaliated. "The other Projects will be hunting you down, you know. Once PSICOM catches a whiff of your disappearance, the other five Projects will be all over you."_

_Laughing, Blaze turned to Lucy. "I could care less about the other Projects at this point. I was built to be the strongest, and I am. I'm nearing the completion of mastering my powers, while everyone else is still learning. The only one who has a chance against me is Myst, and that's if she survives long enough to master her powers. Once I kill Omega, Shinryu, and Gilgamesh, all six of us turn to crystal, anyway."_

"_Besides, Fang is handling Myst. I'm sure she and Vanille won't be attacking me anyway. The other three Projects, however, might be a nuisance. Terra is a whore, a slut. The bitch was trying to screw everyone in sight the minute she got out of her cage. She has complete control of earth, though. If she's down on Pulse with me, she'll be fucking the brains out of some unlucky guy. I'll probably kill her while she's doing too." Blaze said, laughing at the end. _

"_Geist is powerful, but he has hardly reached any milestone in his powers since I last met him. He absorbs the energy of living organisms, which in turn increase his own power. With a single touch, he can kill a giant beast. I've got the perfect plan on how to beat him: Burn everything, and everyone to the ground until everything and everyone is dead. Simple."_

_The tiny plumes of eldritch green fire in Lucy's eye sockets flickered. The Eidolon seemed to acknowledge that Blaze could easily defeat his fellow experiments. _

"_Genesis is the least developed of us all. He has healing magic, and mastery over nature. I'm sure he has the whole animal communication and shapeshifting package too. I'll just kill him in a fight, or incinerate the fighting area." Blaze finished his speech. _

_Lucy glided over to Blaze, nearing his shoulder. Blaze stared at the human-sized skull, floating effortlessly in the air. Looking around, he could see that the world around him, his dream, was beginning to shake. Everything grew dimmer. Another building collapsed among its dozens of fallen companions. _

"_It's been a few hours." Lucy stated. "The people My Lady told me you would meet have arrived a little while ago. I'll wake you up now so you can meet them."_

"_Remember, our conscious' are becoming farther apart at the moment. You will have to force us into Gestalt if you get into trouble."_

* * *

With a lazy, and noisy yawn, Blaze woke up. He felt fully and completely relaxed. Resting for over sixteen days really gave him some energy. His bones were aching from remaining in the same position for so long, but once his blood started pumping, the sleep inertia faded away. Heart rate slowed down to normal, rapid-eye-movement had finished, and breathing was returning to a constant rate. Once his vision cleared, Blaze could see what was around.

He had no idea where the hell he was.

He was lying on his side, his body digging trenches in a couch. The soft, plush upholstery was a deep, wine red. The color looked so alike his hair, that Blaze nearly forgot where the mane of spiky red hair ended and when the couch began. He was in a sitting room, probably used for people to talk or eat dessert, or whatever humans do, Blaze thought to himself.

The walls were a pale pink, and the opposite wall from Blaze had a painting of an abundance of fruit. There was a decently sized glass coffee table in the center of the room, with a few magazines strewn across the clear surface. There was wine red loveseat opposite of Blaze, with a small nightstand next to it. Scented candles were everywhere, filling his nostrils with a mix of exotic and unfamiliar scents.

At the far end of the room, was a widescreen television. A man in a suit, with outrageous hair, was talking about something, but no sound escaped from the speakers. A series of pictures appeared on screen depicting a ruined city, thick columns of black smoke rising from the disaster the wrecked debris. On the corner of the screen, Blaze read the only bit of text:

_After sixteen days, PSICOM has finally left the city of Paddra. While the Old Pulsian city was not aligned with the Republic of Cocoon, the fall of the great city will hurt everyone. Military officials say that there was nothing they could do. PSICOM had attacked the cult-city by surprise. An investigation team has yet to be deployed to find out the cause for this great catastrophe. Rick Hurricane, signing out. Back to you, Ted. _

"_What a load of bull. These humans don't even fight back? Sheesh I could probably take them down with both hands tied."_

_Umm...Lucy, you don't have any hands. You're a floating skull. _

Lucy had shut up, leaving Blaze alone again. Moving into a sitting position, Blaze was able to see more of the place in which he had arrived in. A hallway stretched out of his view, assuming leading to other rooms. A small kitchen was at a far corner of the area, unoccupied. There was a door near the kitchen, but it remained unclosed. Rubbing his eyes for a moment, Blaze realized that he was completely naked. A blanket had previously been covering his body, but he must've shook it off while sleeping.

Blaze heard some muffled noises coming from outside, and the door swung wide open.

"Alright! Let's get dinner cooking!" a man shouted. His loud, booming voice immediately bringing Blaze to full attention.

A very, very tall man charged into the house. A girl, caught in a fit of giggling, was on the man's shoulders. The tall man put the substantially smaller girl onto her legs, a gloved hand ruffling up the girl's pink hair.

"Oh, no, no, no. Don't you remember last time you made something, Snow?" the pink-haired girl asked, giving Snow a weak shove. Snow played along, exaggerated it even, and took the shove. He stumbled backwards, and fell right onto his back.

"W-woah. Hey, don't hurt me anymore, please. You're too tough for me, Serah." Snow chuckled, waving his hands to fend off the smaller girl. Serah pouted, and flashed Snow big blue puppy eyes. Lowering his guard, Snow motioned to get up. Serah's lips quickly turned into a mischievous smirk, and she jumped onto Snow's body, sending the taller man back to the floor once again.

Snow playfully winced in pain, and wrapped his arms around Serah. Brushing away some of the hair covering Serah's eyes, Snow leaned forward to kiss her. Slowly leaning in, Serah smiled and—

"Umm...Can either of you tell me _what the hell am I doing here!"_ Blaze yelled, clearing his voice so the other two could clearly notice him.

Serah and Snow looked at Blaze like a deer caught in the gaze of a headlight. Everything was dead silent, until Serah broke down in another fit of laughter. Nudging Serah off of him, Snow got back onto his own two feet, picking up the pink-haired girl as he stood up.

"Well, well, well. It looks like Sleeping Beauty finally woke up, huh?" Snow asked, flashing Blaze a grin. Snow sat down on the loveseat, while Serah whispered to him about getting the groceries. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek, and walked back out the door.

Blaze rested has hands on his knees, and looked at Snow. "I'll repeat myself: What the hell am I doing here!"

Snow laughed again, shaking his head from side to side. He had his typical large gray boots on, and baggy black pants covering his legs. A striped blue scarf hung from a belt under a long beige trench coat. Beneath the trench coat was a light blue vest. Snow had black gloves on his hands, and a black bandanna covering up most of his light blonde hair. The large mass of candles casted shadows over Snow's face, but Blaze could still see his glinting blue eyes.

"I'll answer," Snow began, pointing a finger at Blaze and glancing at the blanket. "If you cover yourself up."

Blaze looked down at himself. He was naked, but he never thought of it as much of a problem. He shrugged. He didn't really like the cheery, outgoing personality that this 'Snow' guy had. Blaze actually put some thought into the matter. He would've outright attacked the man, but Lucy, and the Goddess Etro, said that he was going to be meeting a few important people. He would spare them, for now. Wrapping the blanket around his waist, Blaze wondered why human beings were so uptight about something like that.

"Great!" Snow exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "Now, I'll tell you how you ended up here, but first, tell me your name. If you didn't hear already from my girl, I'm Snow. She's Serah, by the way."

Blaze groaned. He just wanted to get this thing over with...Whatever he was doing, really. Without any idea of what was happening, he might as well play along and join the ride. But what should he tell them? Certainly they wouldn't know about the Projects, Blaze thought, implying that using his Project name would satisfy the brash interrogator across the room.

"Call me Blaze. Now tell me what I'm-"

"Yeah, yeah. I'll tell you." Snow said, interrupting Blaze. "Serah and I were out grocery shopping. While coming back to my motorcycle, Fenrir, we noticed you lying down on a bench. You looked raggedy, and disheveled...Basically like a pile of crap. We assumed you were homeless. After taking a closer inspection of you, we brought you back to our place. I noticed you were a l'Cie."

Blaze nodded slowly, cursing the Goddess Etro for placing him near a food store of all places. He didn't feel all that surprised about Snow knowing that he was a l'Cie. It's not like he could hide it, Blaze thought. Even if he could cover up the brands on his arm and chest, he couldn't hide the brand on his eye.

"We're just being kind here. The past three years has been tough on all of us, and many are stricken with poverty. I don't feel good about it, but the government gave the four of us really nice homes. You can stay here for awhile, I know it must be hard to be a l'Cie."

_Letting a complete stranger into their home? Are these people idiots? Still...he seems to know a lot about what happened to Cocoon. Ol' Barthandelus said something about six other l'Cie after me had successfully killed Orphan. _

"Four of us?" Blaze questioned, repeating Snow. "Yeah. Light, Hope, Sazh, and I. The government gave us really nice homes since we, you know, saved the world and all." Snow answered, a chuckle escaping his mouth. His hand rubbed the back of his neck.

_Oh. So those four were the ones Vanille was talking about. _

"So..." Snow began, leaning closer to Blaze. A gloved hand brushed stray locks of blonde hair from his eyes. "Do you know what your Focus is? It's alright at the moment if you don't, but it's vital that you figure that part out. I'll be able to help you if you—"

"Oh stop it, Snow!" Serah cried, bringing in a few bags of of the assumed groceries. "This man is a guest at our house. He doesn't have to tell us anything if he doesn't wish to. A man's past is his own...Sorry, I didn't quite catch your name."

Snow made his way over to Serah, and helped her carry the remaining packages into the kitchen. "The name's Blaze." the red haired man responded, not bothering to help.

Placing the last few bags onto the counter, Serah let loose an accomplished sigh. She flashed Blaze a bright smile, showing him her bright, and very white, teeth.

"You look like you could use a shower. Why don't you go cleanup?" Serah asked, wiping her hands with a towel. Snow began to unpack the bags from behind her. "Bathroom is down the hall, first door on your left."

Nodding, Blaze got up. Following Snow's advice, he kept the blanket on. He kept the dark blue cotton sheet wrapped around his waist. All three of his l'Cie brands were in full view. By now, small Cie'th eyes had opened at the twelve, eleven, ten, one, and two spikes. Full blank circles had appeared over the ninth and third spike. They would be opening soon. The flower on his palm was about to 'bloom'. The vine shaped brand encircling his right arm was nearing full Cie'th-ification. His left eye, now cured of its blindness, had gone Cie'th a long time ago.

_You were right, Lucy. I only have about nine years left to live. _

"_Yeah, so? Time never meant anything to you, before. From day one your life was made and directed to become a sword. A sword wielded by Lucas to cast down his enemies. Once finished, he would cast you aside. I've given you the power to destroy him, to destroy the world. Hell, with enough power, and perfect battle strategy and intelligence, you could kill the Maker. Time means nothing at this point. Kill Lucas, then we'll worry about Time." _

Blaze agreed. Time was pointless when he had a purpose in life. But at the moment, he had to build up to that single point where he would finally end Lucas' putrid, pathetic life. He had to start small, and to Blaze, that meant getting rid of the other Projects. By now, he knew they were on Pulse.

Following Serah's instructions, Blaze strode down the hallway. The other rooms down the hallway led to a master bedroom, and what looked like a guest room. Turning the knob, Blaze opened the bathroom door.

Closing the door behind him, Blaze could heard Serah speak. "Set the table, Snow! Claire and Hope will be joining us soon!"

The bathroom was small, but practical. A sink, a toilet, and a shower. There was a medicine cabinet that doubled as a mirror above the sink. The walls were painted a pale pink. The marble counter sink was spotless. A towel rack, with two or three plain white towels, was attached to the wall opposite the medicine cabinet. The toilet seat had some...pink frilly thing on it.

Blaze decided to use the shower first. Pulling the pink shower curtains aside, he stepped in. Near the bottom of the tub were two knobs. Between the knobs, was a nozzle used if anyone desired to have a bath, instead of a shower. He stared intently at the knobs, and scratched his chin. Blaze looked like he was in deep thought.

_How the hell does this thing work? _

"_Ugh...You're an idiot." Well...How do you think it works, oh master of cleanliness? "How should I know? I'm a fiery skull, remember? Just take a shot in the dark." _

Blaze turned one of the knobs, and water was released from the shower head. The water was mind numbingly cold, and sent Blaze reeling back towards the edge of the tub. Goosebumps began to form on his body. Shivering, Blaze watched the downpour of icy cold water descend to the tub, and flow to the drain. He scolded himself for being so stupid, assuming that normal humans knew how to use a shower.

With a snap of his finger, Blaze released waves of heat energy building up inside him. Steam began to rise from the floor, and cloud his vision. He sighed, actually enjoying his shower. Back in the holding cell, Dr. Kacey would scrub him down before and after surgeries. Never in his life, or well, what Blaze remembered, had he ever experienced a shower before. He was thoroughly satisfied. He threw off the sheet covering his waist and began to wash himself.

Minutes later, when he was nearly done, an idea popped into Blaze's mind. He laughed at the thought, and a smirk formed on his lips.

_Do you think they'll care if I pee all over their shower curtain? _

"_What? Haha, I don't care, but the toilet is only three feet away." _Lucy answered, the Eidolon's laugh ringing in Blaze's ear.

_Eh. I'm feeling really lazy at this point. _

With a smile plastered on his face, Blaze peed all over the pink shower curtains.

"_Wow, our conscious' aren't even close and you're acting like a raunchy, perverse, beast. You make me so proud. However, that was really lame. You're not that good at being funny."_

Twisting the knob back, the water ceased its constant flowing. With droplets of water falling off his body, and his mane of spiky red hair sticking to him, Blaze stepped out of the shower. Apparently, there was a note placed on the counter.

_Take a towel to dry yourself off. There's a razor and other things you might need in the medicine cabinet. Snow was glad enough to lend you some clothes, so step into the master bedroom when you're finished. _

Blaze's eyes lingered on the word 'razor'. He gulped, and felt his hands tense for a moment. Another building collapsed in his dream world. Shaking his head, Blaze crumpled up the note and threw it in a trash bin. He didn't need a towel to dry off. Releasing another wave of heat energy from deep inside him, the heat dried him off. Water droplets quickly evaporated. The pink frilly thing covering the toilet seat caught on fire, but Blaze quickly stamped it out. He didn't have _complete _control over his powers.

Striding over to the mirror above the sink, Blaze took a look at the visage before him. Thanks to the Goddess Etro, his body was in much better shape. Despite the magic of the divine, Blaze didn't feel much better. To him, he looked more like a corpse. A closer inspection revealed that he was growing stubble around his chin and upper lip.

Opening the medicine cabinet, Blaze found a various assortment of items placed on shelved. He grabbed a a white-looking tube and a toothbrush, remembering what Maria had taught him about brushing his teeth and oral hygiene. Squeezing a small portion of the contents from the tube on to the toothbrush, Blaze raised it to eye level. A yellowish, oily substance was coating the toothbrush. He brushed his teeth, but only for a few seconds before the taste became so overwhelming he nearly gagged.

He spat the goo out of his mouth, and turned on the sink. Blaze read the label on the 'toothpaste' he had used.

_KY Jelly: Personal Lubricant for Her...? What is this stuff? It's absolutely disgusting, and my mouth is all sticky and oily. Gross._

He gargled with some water, and spat out the remaining sludge from his mouth. His eyes closed in on the razor blade. Eyes dilated, shoulders tense, and hands shaking. In a wobbly grasp, Blaze took the razor blade out of the medicine cabinet, and inspected his face. Swallowing nervously, Blaze cautiously shaved the stubble forming on his chin. He watched the little strands of red hair fall into the sink.

He breathed two light plumes of fire from his nostrils. Blaze burnt the hair forming on his upper lip. Again, he nervously began to shave himself. His hand wasn't steady enough, and on the last swipe, Blaze cut himself. A tiny red ink blotch of a wound formed on his upper lip. A small trickle of blood flowed down his skin. His eyes widened even more, and his breathing ceased. Blaze's eyes locked onto the diminutive stream of blood. His hand shook, and he had a hard time trying to stifle a laugh.

_Blood...My blood..._

Another building collapsed in his dream world. Shaking his head furiously, Blaze snapped back to reality. He threw the shaver back into the medicine cabinet and shut it quick. He couldn't stand looking at the small cut for long. He burnt the tiny cut, causing it to close. Turning away from the mirror, Blaze finally calmed himself down.

Blaze wrapped a towel around his waist. He heard commotion outside, reasoning that the people Serah and Snow were talking about had arrived. He still needed clothes, so he made his way unseen to the master bedroom.

The master bedroom was large, and seemed fitting for type of house. Nothing spectacular. A television set, a nightstand, a few drawers, and the bed of course. Matching with the entirety of the house, everything in the master bedroom was pink. Blaze found a closet to the right, and made his way there, without much of a care if he bumped into something or knocked an object over. There was a mirror attached to the closet, and Blaze quickly looked at his reflection before opening the door.

He sighed relief, glad that the tiny cut left by the razor had relinquished its final drops of blood. Opening the closet door, Blaze was astounded. Snow's walk-in closet was filled with basically one outfit. The majority of the closet was occupied by various trench coats attached to hangars. Nearly all of them were the same color; a pale, drab, beige.

_Shit...how many trench coats does this guy even need...?_

Blaze inspected a few, and tossed them to the side. He grabbed a black T-shirt. He took a particular liking to this T-shirt, noting the fire symbols emblazoned on the back. Looking at himself in the mirror, Blaze smirked, a little happy that what muscle he had was showing through the shirt. He grabbed a pair of black baggy pants, and a pair of Snow's boots. Trying them on proved unsuccessful, so Blaze discarded Snow's boots, and decided to go barefoot instead. He reasoned that these clothes would get ruined the minute he used some of his magic anyway. Grabbing a black bandanna with a skull imprint on it, Blaze's outfit was complete. Only his central, Orphan brand was hidden.

Fully clothed, Blaze exited Snow and Serah's room. The master bedroom led into the main hallway, and the guest room was closest. Only a sliver of the interior of the room could be seen. The door was only open a crack. A lamp dimly lit the smaller room. Looking in through the gap, Blaze could see the faint silhouette of a woman. She leaned over the edge of the bed, and was looking through a few duffel bags that lay near her feet.

The woman was hunched over the side of the bed, the lamp casting eerie shadows over her form. She had long, pink hair that flowed over her left shoulder. One of her cold, azure eyes lay hidden beneath the cloak of a shadow, but Blaze could clearly see its twin glinting in the light. Similar to the other girl Blaze met, Serah, the woman he was observing had a similar heart-shaped face. She was wearing what looked like a white soldiers uniform, with a light brown turtleneck shirt beneath it. A green metal pauldron was attached to her shoulder, with two glowing yellow stripes. A long, red cape descended from her back and onto the bed. She was wearing two knee-high, steel-toed leather boots. The woman had a brown miniskirt on, and a red storage pack wrapped around her left leg. Finally, she was wearing a pair of dark blue, fingerless gloves with gold plates over the knuckles, and a long black sleeve on her left arm that began from her bicep.

There was a case in her hand she was holding, but Blaze couldn't discern what it was. He was staring a bit too long when the woman finally took notice of him. Her head snapped to attention, and the two locked eyes for a mere second before Blaze quickly went along his way. He swallowed nervously, the vibes he was feeling from this woman a bit too ominous for comfort.

Blaze cleared his throat, making his presence known to the people talking in the sitting room. Serah was in the kitchen, doing something. Snow and another man were placing plates and utensils around the table. The two men looked up from their task and looked at Blaze. The one other than Snow had a confused look on his face.

"Hey...I'm Blaze." the red-haired man said, giving a nod to the silver-haired boy.

"Hope. Hope Estheim." he responded, returning Blaze's nod.

Hope was tall, shorter than Snow, but a little bigger than Serah. He had a short-sleeve, orange and yellow coat, and a light green scarf around his neck. Blaze noticed that Hope's scarf had black symbols written on it, but he couldn't decipher the text. He never did learn how to read. Beneath the coat, Hope wore a low-cut black shirt. He had black gloves with with palms, and deep green pants with long threads hanging from the back. On his feet, were light green shoes with black laces. His blue-green eyes seemed to shudder when Hope and Blaze caught each other inspecting the other.

Soon enough, the entire house was filled with the smells of food. The kitchen door swung open, revealing an apron-clad Serah, holding a big plate of meat.

"Dinner time! Get it while it's hot!" she shouted, rather enthusiastically. She placed the plate filled with meat at the center of the table, retreating back to the kitchen to fetch tubs and bowls of other dishes that were being served tonight. Blaze found the entire situation odd, still in disbelief that total strangers would bring another total stranger home, and then feed and clothe him.

Out of the corner of his eye, Blaze saw the soldier girl step out of the guest room. Since the silver-haired man was called Hope, Blaze concluded that the taller pink-haired woman was the one they called Claire.

They all surrounded the table, and took their seats. Blaze was flanked by Hope and Snow, and sat across from Claire. Snow was already busy, the man piling his plate high with the sizzling strips of cooked meat. Hope and Claire exchanged awkward glances, and Blaze assumed that he was the cause for them. Blaze looked down at the utensils around his plate, finding them all unknown to him. The tiny shaft of metal with serrated edges on one side, and a flat edge on the opposite made him tense up though.

Time passed, and soon everyone but Blaze had food on their plate. Hope, Snow, and Serah were busy in a conversation. Claire casted suspicious glances at Blaze, in between bites of food. Blaze just sat there, his eyes locked on the object he heard being called a 'knife'. His hand grasped the knife hard, his knuckles going white. The point of the knife prodding against the soft flesh of his wrist.

"So, Blaze...Why are you even here?" Claire asked, her question stopping the conversation held by the other three.

He locked eyes with Claire, and hesitated to respond. "Hey, Lightning, leave him be. We already told you that we brought him in because he's a l'Cie." Snow said, standing up for Blaze.

"Right..." Lightning muttered, not satisfied. "Hey," Snow began, his mouth full of food. "Why aren't you eating, Blaze?"

He looked down at his empty plate and up at Snow again. Bits and scraps of food clung to his face, obviously a messy eater. Blaze sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "I...don't eat meat, I guess."

Snow's mouth hung agape, the chewed up blob of meat nearly falling out. Serah merely laughed politely and wiped up Snow's face with a napkin. She placed a big bowl of something green and leafy in front of Blaze, insisting that he eat it. Cautiously, Blaze picked up the four-pronged utensil he saw the others using. Spearing the leafy vegetable thing, Blaze bit off a piece. He chewed slowly, a little creeped out that the others were eyeing him as he ate. He gave an awkward nod of approval, and everyone but Lightning exhaled a sigh of relief.

Blaze chuckled quietly to himself, and the dinner resumed. Hope, Snow, and Serah brought up their old conversation again, talking about how Hope had changed since the last time he had visited. They said his voice got deeper, and was a little bit taller than Serah now, but Blaze didn't really get interested in their banter. He eyed the knife sitting innocently next to the strip of cloth the others were using to clean themselves with. Another building inside his dream world collapsed.

Lightning and Blaze shared skeptical looks between bites of food. He knew the pink-haired soldier girl would be trouble.

"_Why do you keep staring at her? What, is she attractive or something?" _Lucy asked, the Eidolon's voice turning into a shallow laugh inside Blaze's head.

_Ugh, gross. No way. Human's are such a boring species, how could you think I'd be attracted to one?_

"So, Blaze...Why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself, if that's okay with you." Serah asked, her lips turning into a bright and cheery smile. Blaze found that a little distasteful. The knife's sharp point made contact with his wrist again, caught by Lightning's unnerving gaze.

"Well...I...was originally a garbageman. You know...working in this city." he lied, his words coming out slow. One could easily tell he was nervous.

"The pay was terrible...and I just couldn't afford to pay for my house anymore." Blaze began to sniffle, trying to make it convincing that it was a touchy subject.

"My wife left me. She took my kid, and half of my stuff." he paused, letting the series of gasps subside. "Drunk, depressed, and down on my luck...I was contemplating suicide." Blaze poked his wrist with the knife again. "I went to the fal'Cie, and prayed for a miracle. They turned me into a l'Cie...and now I sit before you."

"_Very believable, Edgar. Just so you know, I'd be rolling my eyes if I had any."_

"Oh my God..!" Serah exclaimed, reaching over to try and comfort Blaze with a friendly touch. Her much smaller hand rested on top of Blaze's before his hand pulled away. "That's terrible! What fal'Cie did you go to? Maybe your Focus can help get your life together."

_Shit...What fal'Cie live on Pulse? "How the hell should I know? The Goddess Etro has only told me about the important Cocoon fal'Cie."_

"Well...you see..." Blaze began, his eyes wandering around before locking with Lightning's again. Her gaze grew more and more suspicious, appearing to Blaze as if she was slowly picking his story apart.

"I was branded by three different fal'Cie...I don't really know who branded me first. All I do know is that I got a freaky vision afterwards."

Blaze left it as it is. He bit into another leafy, green vegetable that filled the bowl before him. He stuck the knife into his wrist this time, letting a tiny pin-sized cut form. A tiny trickle of blood streamed down his flesh. Hope, who had remained quiet for quite some time, finally spoke up.

"What is your Focus, then? The four of us have been l'Cie before, so we know what you're going through. We know that it's hard, and either way, it's a lose-lose situation. But you can change your fate. We would know, we've done it before. That's how Snow, Light, Sazh, Fang, Vanille, and I all saved Cocoon." the silver-haired teenager said, his speech trying to make Blaze feel better.

Lightning's eyes widened for a moment after hearing 'Fang' and 'Vanille'. She quickly resumed the blank face she put on throughout the whole time Blaze had seen her. He didn't catch it, but Lucy did.

"_She knows something. She is the one you need to talk to." _

Blaze nodded and chuckled softly at Hope's heartfelt speech. "Well...the vision was really blurry. I couldn't make out a lot of it. But I saw a vast, wide open plain in my Focus. There were two great armies waging a desperate war against each other."

Lightning nearly dropped her fork and knife. She stared at Blaze, and the red-haired man knew that look confirmed Lucy's thoughts. The others were still in surprise, except for Snow, who was shouting something unintelligible. The man had food in his mouth, making his words all slurred, while pieces of the chewed meat flung everywhere.

"Wow! That sounds exciting! You can count me in, because Pulse needs its hero to return!" Snow whooped cheerfully after swallowing his food. He pounded a closed fist against an open palm, determination showing in his icy blue eyes.

"We need to bring you to my dad! I'm sure he would define—"

"Blaze! You're bleeding!" Serah shouted, interrupting Hope. Blaze quickly looked down at his arm, and grimaced at the tiny cut.

Pupils dilated. Heart rate hastened. Breathing stopped. Muscles tensed. Eyes locked on the tiny stream of blood. Blaze found it difficult to stifle a laugh. Another building inside his dream world collapsed.

"Uh...Uhm...I'm going to use the bathroom." Blaze stuttered, quickly rising. He rushed over to the bathroom, a hand clutching his wrist as if it was seriously wounded. Quiet laughs were escaping from Blaze's lips. He quickly slammed the bathroom door shut.

_Blood...__My blood..._

Blaze stared at himself through the mirror. His reflection was hazy. He heard the others mumble something outside, but everything was muffled. Blaze felt vulnerable, hypersensitive even. His paranoia started acting up, and out of the corner of his eye, Blaze thought he could see things. Through his eye, he saw his shadow twist and contort into a series of different shapes. His hands were trembling, and his legs were shaky.

_I need an injection...NOW._

Looking again at the mirror, Blaze grew angry. He tore his shirt off, and observed the wheel brand on his torso. His body seemed to phase slightly every few seconds or so, as if his physical form wasn't stable. Small cracks appeared from the center of the Orphan brand. His Ark brand, the circle with opposite arcing lines over his left eye, turned bloodshot. He looked as if he was about to cry blood.

He swung open the medicine cabinet. Any feelings of caring for Serah and Snow's property had abandoned him. The door slammed against the wall, a small crack forming in the glass. Grabbing the razor blade, Blaze freed the sharpened mass of metal from its plastic binding. Blaze couldn't help but laugh now. The crazed giggles and cackles flooded beyond his control.

He raised the razor to eye level, inspecting it. It was sharp, and would easily draw blood. He looked at his wrist again, the tiny cut by now had began to heal. The flow of blood ceased. Blaze's eyes wavered over the small wound.

_It's...my blood...Hehe.._

Blaze shoved the razor blade into his body. He didn't wince, or groan in pain. He merely smiled, welcoming the hurt. He kept the razor in his upper chest, beneath his left nipple. With some effort, he brought the razor blade up, and carved a rotated crescent moon onto his upper chest. The entire cut wasn't deep, but the blood rained freely. His torso was coated in crimson, some of the blood seeping into the cracks of his Orphan brand.

He felt Lucy form around his head. The hallow skull becoming a mask. The eye sockets lit ablaze with red flame. He felt the Gestalt metamorphosis begin...

* * *

Lightning kicked open the bathroom door. Her gunblade was raised high, her eyes scanning the room for Blaze.

Once she knew his name, Lightning grew suspicious. She flash backed to Paddra, over sixteen days ago. Lucas had said something about Projects. She remembered how Lucas said there were three in Paddra: Naga, Myst, and Blaze. Lightning discovered Myst's identity to be Vanille once Rook knocked her helmet off. She knew Naga must have been Fang while the two fought. Lightning hadn't seen Blaze in Paddra, but the red haired man was still a threat.

He was supposed to lead Operation: Spearhead, as Lucas called it. Blaze, Fang, and Vanille were supposed to lead the PSICOM army in an invasion. The three would wipe out all Pulsian life, just to encounter the Maker, or fulfill their Master's Focus. Lightning scolded Serah and Snow for letting one of Pulse's most dangerous enemies into their own home. She argued that the news had never released anything about the Projects, and she told no one what she heard from Lucas.

Lightning had to kill him. It would risk Serah's safety, the information throwing her into the direction of PSICOM's wrath. It had to be done. If Blaze was spared, or escaped, he would wreck havoc on the civilians of New Bodhum.

As the door swung upon, she saw for a split second, a skull fade away from Blaze's face. Sparks of flame scattered, and Blaze looked normal...sort of.

Blood was everywhere. The man held a sanguine stained razor blade in his hand, and a large crescent moon shaped cut was carved into his skin. Blaze was smiling and laughing, seemingly happy. His content grin faded when Hope, Serah, and Snow appeared in the doorway.

Blaze shook his head, thinking that it would snap him back to reality. Lightning had a better idea, and launched herself at the distraught man.

She swung her blade in a downward slice, intending to cut the man up more than he already was. He was quicker than expected, and sidestepped the attack. Blaze looked at Lightning as if she was crazy, and then realized he was being attacked. He was hesitant, and looked distracted, so Lightning took the initiative.

With a quick roundhouse kick to the face, Blaze was sent to the ground. The two locked eyes; cold azure versus fiery crimson. Lightning held her gunblade out, the point mere centimeters from Blaze's neck.

_He moves, he dies. _

"Are you insane?" Lightning cried, applying pressure to his neck. Blaze smirked, and stifled a laugh.

"I wouldn't call me insane. I would say...creative. Imaginative. Imagination is the best way to say fuck you to reality."

"Look. I know who you are, and what you're doing here. Why did you come to my house?"

Blaze was really laughing now. He didn't even seem phased by the gunblade at his throat.

"Hey, I will live my life as I please. Judge me if you want, but we are all going to die. I intend to deserve it."

Suddenly...the room began to feel really hot. Lightning did not have a hard time noticing the drastic change in temperature so quickly. The heat was wall focused on her gunblade. Her hands felt like they were burning, and soon the slick metal was beginning to have a faint, red glow to it.

Instinct commanded her to drop the scalding hot blade. Lightning clutched her hurting palms, momentarily forgetting about Blaze. The red haired man flashed a grin at the confused Lightning, and spun to her side to grab his discarded T-shirt. Blaze gave Lightning a quick touch to her neck with his fingers, leaving a small burn mark on her otherwise flawless skin.

Blaze tucked the shirt under his arm, and charged out of the bathroom. He passed by the bewildered looks of Hope, Snow, and Serah. This entire scheme at the moment was him acting without thinking, so Blaze charged through the exit door to the house.

"Thanks for the food! Say bye to Claire for me!" Blaze shouted. He had heard Serah say Claire first, so he decided to call her that, instead of the nickname Snow and Hope were calling her.

He found himself in the dark, deserted streets of New Bodhum, and ran.

"_What was with the burn mark you left on that girl, Edgar?" _

_Eh, I don't know. Think of it as a goodbye present._ Blaze mentally shrugged.

"_Oh. So you do like her. What happened to human's being such a boring species?"_

_It's not like it matters. I doubt I will be seeing her again anytime soon. She thinks I'm an enemy too. But to answer your question: _

_No, I don't like her, I just hate her less than everyone else._


	13. Chapter 11

Edit: Noticed that this chapter wasn't loading up properly. On a side note, while I didn't just submit a new chapter, I'm committed to typing up the next chapter over the next 10 days or so. I know I've been gone for months now, but despite what has been occupying my time I promise that this story will have an ending! I just...don't know when that will be. :(

**Awake**

**Chapter Eleven: New Boundaries**

* * *

_Oerba Dia Vanille stood silently on a hilltop, gazing upon the great stretches of land of Pulse. She stood alone, but her raven-haired companion was only a short distance away. She stood on the tips of her toes and a hand shielded her eyes as she stared at the sun. With a somewhat educated guess, Vanille figured it was well after noon. _

_She breathed in the exotic smells of Pulse. After the first rains of the season, everything smelt like spring. The still slightly damp soil was fresh and dark; the fertile land farmable if someone had chosen to do so. The bright green grass was topped with sparkling droplets of newly made dew. Flowers had begun to bloom, as the sleeping animals returned to their ancestral hunting grounds. The pleasant chirping of birds in the distance, along with the calm atmosphere, had Vanille feeling that this spring would be one of the best she had experienced. _

_Oerba Yun Fang had been trailing behind her amber-haired friend, immediately volunteering to carry the very large, and very heavy tub they were given on the first day the yearly ritual was given to them. Vanille, being stubborn, had demanded that she also carry her own weight, and wanted to switch off carrying the tub every few hours. Fang, with a knowing smile on her face, had complied. After the first few hours of watching Vanille at peace surrounded by the beautiful, untamed wilderness known as Gran Pulse, Fang chose to simply forget to remind Vanille when it was her turn to carry the tub. There were enough problems Vanille had to deal with, and Fang was there to lighten the load where she could. _

_The two traveling companions were many days away from their hometown of Oerba. This time, Shaman and the other elders of the town assigned Fang and Vanille the yearly ritual to capture the rare Bloater. The fish was prized amongst the townsfolk. Catching the fish was hard, and many brave souls had underestimated the Bloater's prowess. The fish was conniving and tricky to catch, and was as tough to bring down as one of the fierce gorgonopsids roaming the wide open plains of the Archylte Steppe. It was an honor to be handpicked by the elders to catch the Bloater, but the real honor was in returning with the fish. _

_Vanille was quick to make sure she and Fang were well supplied for the trip. She was toting a large, brown satchel strapped across her neck. Inside, the food, medical tools, and most importantly, the Bloater's tooth. Their task was for a true hunter, and no chocobo's or other means of transportation would be given. Fang shrugged cooly after hearing it, and silently wondered how the elders would know if they had went against the rules. _

_They never stayed on the paths out of Oerba and onto the Archylte Steppe, traveling with Vanille wouldn't allow that. At times she would just skip off in a random direction, to get a closer look at a particularly nice looking flower, or to watch a butterfly's wings flutter in the wind. Other times she would derive from the path for not much of a reason at all. Regardless, Fang would just chuckle softly to herself, and follow Vanille. _

_Fang and Vanille were lucky. With spring just arriving to Gran Pulse, most animals were lazily waking up. The two woman had easily ventured through the Archylte Steppe without the distraction of being attacked. It was a plus, the animals were easier to hunt too. Over the nights Fang would return to the campsite Vanille had made with one large animal or another. The two would be set for the trip and back home, anything left over would be given to the village. _

_Vanille leaned down and stared at the grass beneath her boots. She watched a trail of tiny brown ants slowly make their way to an anthill. The redhead smiled, seemingly enjoying the ants making their way into their home. Behind her, Vanille could hear the struggles and grunting of Fang, releasing the large tub from her hands and letting it carelessly collide with the grassy earth. She heard a sigh of relief escape from Fang, and Vanille turned to see her companion. _

"_Whew...What a load." Fang began, wiping the sweat beginning to form on her brow. She smoothed out the fabric of her sari, the many hours of walking causing her to look disheveled. "Why are we stopping here, Vanille?" Fang asked, her look was happy, but Vanille could see that Fang's typical concern for her was hiding below the surface. _

_Vanille simply tilted her head to the side, and flashed Fang a grin, revealing her very white teeth. She quickly closed the distance between her and Fang, and placed her hand around her own. Pulling the taller woman to where she was standing, Vanille turned to look at the ground again._

"_Look, Fang!" Vanille started, a giggle right on the tip of her tongue. "Look at these ants! I wonder what they are up to..." she trailed on, enraptured by the sight on the marching insects. By now, most had reached their anthill, circling the tiny mound of dirt. With a not as curious feeling, Fang glanced a the ants. _

"_So? They're ants. Probably just heading back home." Fang shrugged, folding her arms behind her head. Vanille could tell she wasn't as impressed. Vanille pouted, and placed her hands on her hips. _

"_Oh, come on, Fang. They're just like us, you know. Soon enough we'll be returning to our own home. And we'll have the Bloater in our hands! Shaman will faint once he see's us come back!" Vanille laughed, trying to act upset about some little ants quickly failed against Fang. Vanille shifted her weight, leaning to the left of Fang, as if to see something behind her._

"_When is it my turn to hold the gigantic tub? We've been walking for hours today." she questioned, receiving a a quaint grin and a nod from Fang._

"_It'll be your turn soon, I haven't finished yet." the raven-haired woman replied, grabbing the tub and attempting to hook onto her back again. The process was long and arduous, and was far too complex for Fang's attention. Just like everything else in this stupid ritual, Fang thought, there was a certain order in how things should happen. The tub had to be held in the designated way or the Bloater would be impure, or some bullshit that Fang hadn't listened too. _

_Vanille simply stared back at her friend with a concerned look, but seeing Fang grab the tub, she turned around. The two were close to reaching their destination. Lake Anora was in sight, right at the bottom of the hill. The skies overhead were clear blue, matching the lake, and white puffs of clouds floated around the massive Taejin's Tower. The massive stone structure stood prominently, long metal appendages at the top looking as if it were ready to hold something atop the Tower. _

_With an outstretched hand, Vanille looked at Fang. "Come on! We're almost there!" the redhead shouted, pulling Fang with her down the hill. Without even much time to consider taking Vanille's hand, not that Fang would ever think twice about that, Fang let Vanille lead her down to the lake. The tub, however, was a hassle. There were many instances where Fang was on the verge of tripping, and nearly rolling down the hill due to the weight of the tub. But Vanille was there to catch her, or at least roll down the hill with Fang. _

_After nearly fifteen more minutes of walking, Fang and Vanille had finally reached the lake. _

_Close up, Lake Anora was spectacular. The water shimmered in the sunlight. Fish of every color imaginable swam through the crystal clear waters. Most were small, the fish darting erratically after staying in one place for far too long. None were the Bloater that Vanille, Fang, and the rest of Oerba sought for. The fish lay dormant in the waters of Lake Anora, plotting its next move. It was awake, and it was hungry. _

_A small cliff was behind the lake, a cascade of water droplets falling from the cliffs peak from the Anora River above. Tall trees that once stood barren were now blooming with the blossoms of spring, and their colors entertained Vanille's eyes for many moments. _

_The two were on the Archylte Steppe, but were closer to the subterranean cavern system of Mah'habara . They were far enough from any of the predatory animals of Gran Pulse, so there was no danger to be expected. Except, of course, from the Bloater. The birds had continued to chirp to one another in constant conversation, perched upon branches. The afternoon sun was beginning to descend, but dusk was far to come. _

_Cocoon, in all its glorious majesty, hung in the sky, rivaling the might of the sun. The sphere was untouched, for now at least. Fang had overheard from Shaman that the fal'Cie were beginning to formulate plans on assaulting the viper's nest. Fang was silently worried, but wanted to make sure Vanille was fine. The fal'Cie of Lindzei's brood were visiting Gran Pulse far too frequently, stripping the lands of resources. A far away town was taken right from the ground, and brought to the viper's nest for some unknown reason. Vanille was scared, sometimes, and Fang did her best to ensure that she would be properly taken care of. Vanille would never be taken away from Fang, and Fang would never leave Vanille. Both would stick together for all their remaining days. _

_Making their way to the edge of Lake Anora, Vanille dropped her satchel. She collapsed onto the ground, and gazed into the waters of the lake, searching for the Bloater. Fang let the tub crash, and joined Vanille by her side. There was much to do. Vanille had to use the powders of herbs and other ingredients Shaman and ground up for her to make the ritual circle. Special wood was required to draw the circle with the powder. Their couldn't be any wind, or any other obstructions that would ruin the circle's design. Last but not least, the damn Bloater had to be caught. _

"_I'm going to to grab us some food, be good, okay?" Fang laughed, and stood up to leave. Her spear was already in hand. Vanille smiled back and nodded, knowing she would never do anything wrong on purpose to mess up something this important. "Be careful!" Vanille replied, leaning over to hug Fang's legs. Her arms wrapped around Fang's thighs, and Vanille gently kissed soft, tanned skin. _

_At this point in their relationship, most of this was natural, they had yet to have a real kiss, but Fang was content with how things were going. She would go at Vanille's pace, to make sure everything was right, and to make sure Vanille felt ready. Fang wouldn't pressure Vanille into something. Even though there were dozens of times when Fang would want to tackle Vanille to the ground and take her right then and there, she would wait patiently for the right moment. For now. _

_Fang patted Vanille's head, and left her embrace. The feeling was nice, and Fang found herself lost in the moment more times than once. Pleasantries like that would have to wait, as a job had to be done. The raven-haired woman turned around, and left into a shadowy collection of trees. Vanille was left to prepare the ritual. _

_During Fang's absence, Vanille set to work on completing the ritual circle. The Bloater was, in a strange way, sacred to Oerba and its townsfolk. The Bloater earned its name for a reason: Eat one bite, and you'll be full. The great fish was used to feed the people Oerba for months. The fish's magical properties allowing the eaters to feel full, satisfied, and bloated, after swallowing the first bite. The fish was a fighter though, and unfortunately a few of the more idiotic hunters were found prey to the Bloater. A feast would be held in honor of those bringing back the rare fish, and honor and respect would be earned. _

_The Bloater was one of the rarest fish on all of Gran Pulse. It's only habitat was Lake Anora, found nowhere else despite everyone's best efforts. The Bloater hatches from an egg underwater, and only one Bloater is hatched a year. The male and female Bloater mating season has to be greatly controlled, since the egg will die if the fish hatches in winter, or to late in spring. A male or female was not needed this year, and the newly born Bloater would be used to feed the townsfolk. _

_The Bloater would be also used to aid the village. The tooth found in the most pristine condition would be saved, used to hunt down the Bloater fish next year. Shaman made use of the Bloater's eyes and scales. The warriors and hunters of Oerba would drink the fish's blood, to gain the ferocity of the monster. _

_Vanille reached for her satchel, and dumped the contents onto the ground. The large, brown, sharpened tooth of last years Bloater was quickly strapped to her waist for use soon. Fang and her had already eaten what food Vanille had brought along for the trip. The various assortment of powders used for the ritual lay in specially made metal bowls. The shafts of wood, each tipped with a strip of metal from every house in Oerba was placed in a pile. _

_Grabbing one of the sticks, Vanille dipped it into to powdery mixture of one of the bowls. The ritual circle was of complex design, and there was no room for error. Over time, Vanille drew the proper design onto the ground. A basic spiraling circle leading to a central point was drawn in the dark green powder mixture. _

_Vanille drew triangles with connecting points onto the winding circle. In dark red, blue, and brown powder, the triangles all connecting towards the central point of the original green circle. Finally, a bowl of pitch was used. Using the final few sticks, Vanille drew a square encompassing the entire the design. The square would eventually be lit on fire, and the powders would ignite as well. The Bloater would lay atop the central circle, the powders used to season and spice the the fish. Finally, the Bloater would be contained in the tub Fang had brought, and the two would journey back to Oerba. _

_The fish was always a challenge to subdue. The Bloater's teeth weren't large, maybe the size of one's fist. The elders required that those chosen to catch Bloater to use the previous Bloater's tooth. The previous chosen, Meera and Marcus, had caught an average sized Bloater, and the tooth was of typical size as well. With all the skill she had, Fang would find the Bloater a respectable opponent. _

_Right as Vanille finished the ritual circle, Fang had returned, carrying a gorgonopsid and a smaller cactuar. The cactuar was a naturally salty food, a delicacy in the Oerban diet, and was a favorite of Fang's. The raven-haired woman placed the carcasses carefully to the side, to be eaten later after a fire was made. She strode over to Vanille, noting the completed ritual circle._

"_Good job, Vanille." Fang began, helping the redhead onto her feet. "Let's get this over with, yeah?"_

_The sun had descended farther towards ground. Dusk was near, and the sky was lit ablaze with yellows, pinks, reds, and oranges. _

_Vanille reached for her binding rod behind her back. While Fang waded into the cool waters of Lake Anora, Vanille would fish. It would double their chances at catching the Bloater. The fish would be hungry, and there was plenty of fish in the lake for the Bloater to eat. The abundance of fish would also be used as bait for the Bloater. _

_Waist-deep in the the water, Fang had her eyes locked on the dark depths of the lake. She knew the Bloater was there, somewhere. With the last years Bloater's tooth in hand, Fang was ready and alert. Vanille cast out her lines a little ways away from Fang, the four bobbling orbs sinking beneath the water. _

_Many minutes passed, and once or twice Fang lurched and twisting, claiming she felt something brush her leg. She splashed the water, sending the more calm and less cautious fish scattering. The tooth was stabbed into the water, but Fang did not hit any mark. If it was the Bloater, it might have been far more intelligent than Fang or Vanille had thought. _

"_H—Hey! I got something!" Vanille cried, feeling a tug on her lines. She pulled on her binding rod, trying to get the fish into the air and out of the water. The fish was heavy and Vanille struggled to pull it. Fang rushed over to Vanille's lines, her hands spreading the water in search of the caught fish. _

"_Come on! Pull it up! Pull it up!" Fang shouted, the sharpened tooth ready to strike once she catches sight of the target. "I'm trying! I'm trying!" Vanille replied, leaning back to pull stronger. _

_The fish lurched out of the water. Turns out, it wasn't the Bloater after all. The fish slithered and squirmed in the air, it's fins spraying water. The fish's beady eyes were wide and all over the place. The fish was frightened, it's light turquoise scales becoming a dark, murky blue. Fang hesitated, and did not strike at the fish. _

_Vanille groaned. She hung her head, saddened that she missed the Bloater. She slowly began to reel in the fish. The caught fish was on the verge of dying, the body wiggling around afraid. Fang turned away after a groan of her own filled the air. She waded through Lake Anora, eventually getting to the point where she'd have to swim, instead of trudge through the lake. _

_Suddenly, the fish Fang, Vanille, and everyone in Oerba finally made its appearance. It rocketed out of the water, and into the air. The truly massive, scaleless fish came out of the water, the fish probably over fifteen feet from a quick glance. The Bloater had greenish-brown skin, and small, hardened nubs of flesh had grown in random locations on the fish's back. The Bloater had two long barbels on it's upper jaw, and four shorter barbels on it's lower jaw. The Bloater opened it's mouth, revealing lines of numerous, small teeth. The back rows were sharp, used for tearing and ripping, while the closer rows were flat. The belly of the fish was a pale yellow. The sharp pectoral fins were raised in the air, giving the appearance that the fish was flying._

_The Bloater closed the distance between it and the smaller, hooked fish in one simple leap. In one bound, the large fish collided with the captured fish, and the Bloater's mouth opened. Before diving back into the water, the Bloater took nearly all but the hooked fish's head with it. The spine was left floating on the top of the lake. Fang twisted around, watching some of the blood pour into the water._

_Then, just like all the other times, the world froze. The Bloater floated motionless in air, a good portion of the poor hooked fish hanging out from it's mouth. Water droplets from the constant splashing hung still in the air, the light from the descending sun casting miniature rainbows inside the droplets. Vanille sat on the edge of Lake Anora, mouth agape. The binding rod in her hand was still held tight in her grip, but the user was incapable of moving. Fang stood fixed, waist-deep in the waters of Lake Anora. The Bloater's tooth in her hand was raised high above her head, ready to strike the fish for a killing blow. _

_This dream, or this memory Vanille thought of it now, had been haunting her for the past four nights. Each night, the dream would last a little bit longer, yesterday's dream freezing moments before the ritual circle neared its completion. Vanille would stay in the air, watching the younger version of herself play out the same actions each night. The real Vanille could not affect the dream, she was just a bystander. Just like the past few nights, Vanille knew what would be happening next. _

_From her invisible perch a little bit above the younger Vanille's shoulder, the real Vanille could see the clouds of fog enter the scene. The thick rolling mass flooded the area, quickly covering everything she could see. As the clouds of fog hit, the oxygen was knocked right out of her, and for a moment, Vanille felt like she was deep underwater, on the verge of drowning. _

_She was able to move now, the laws restricting her seeming to vanish once the fog entered the dream. Turning her head, the real Vanille caught a last second glance at the younger version of Fang and herself being sucked up into the fog. Vanille's body was gone...but it still felt there. She could move, but the action happened by willing herself to go in a specific direction, and not commanding her legs to carry her. Her arms were invisible too, but the weight of throwing them around could be felt. Her eyes were the only things that actually felt real, mere portals to view her own forgotten memories. _

_Eventually, fog became the only thing Vanille was able to see in her dream. A constant howling noise pierced her ears, as if a raging tornado was right outside her doorstep. She knew not where to go next, but her body was brought to the same place each night of its own accord. Vanille never was able to feel herself moving throughout this strange space, but the raging storm blew her hair in all sorts of directions. She had to take a moment to readjust her pig tails. _

_Vanille knew what was coming next. A voice, appearing out of no where just like the fog, would speak. The genderless, monotone speaker's words would echo with an unearthly force. The reverberations further amplified by the thick cloud of fog keeping her trapped inside it. _

"_The whispers of things unseen._

_A raging ocean, where the waves crash upon the Misty shores of a battle-scarred land._

_Vast and endless, cold and deep. _

_Where we find ourselves adrift._

_To follow instinct is to kill yourself, and all that you love. _

_They stick to the back of your mind._

_Change your thoughts, and you change your world._

_Unleash the hero._

_It is never too late to be what you might have been._

_When the Mist rolls down upon the fields of war, all will be blind._

_When the howling wind follows, none will stand before you."_

_The speaker would always repeat the verse each night, as if its haunting words were good enough to hear more than once. The message was unclear for Vanille, but with the way she was in, the concept of what was 'real' and what wasn't, did not seem tangible. _

_Eventually, the figure of herself would appear. A ghostly apparition of Vanille would appear before herself, ready to guide the true Vanille to where she was next needed. The howling winds stopped, and the fog soon bore the figure of Vanille. She smiled, her billowing smoky hand outstretched to take Vanille's. _

"_Where are we going?" Vanille would ask as she did each recurring night. Though her hand wasn't there, her head nodded and the foggy form of Vanille would whisk them away to some unknown plane. _

"_I'm bringing you to the Void, silly! There's more for you to learn today!" the imposter would respond, bringing Vanille with her to their destination. The environment would never truly change much. The fog would be swallowed into the Vanille copy. The dimension was white, with veins of tinted black webbing their way throughout the plane. A variety of colors would lazily float on by, not paying too much heed to the two travelers passing by. The horizon went on forever, and there were no landmarks of any kind to make navigation in such a place possible. _

_This time, Vanille did not wake up, and now everything was quite new to her. She began to hear a faint mumbling sound in the distance, as if people were having a conversation far out of earshot. After continued travel with the fog copy of herself, Vanille felt a wave of other sensations flow through her. She was feeling happy and joyous for one moment, but would quickly turn to lazy, hungry, and without motivation. Emotions of sadness, anger, and downright terror came through her as fast as they had arrived. The mumbling sound began to grow louder. _

_On her left, or at least what Vanille thought was her left, a small series of portals opened. Decent sized circles opened into the Void, the window to the world beyond the door filled with a bright, blinding light. The portals would close quickly, but only after depositing the passengers that used the portal. A diminutive ball, filled with a billowing blue light, swirled and danced around in the air. Soon one, and then two and three joined the original dancing ball. The traveling companions would swirl and dance violently around each other, before carrying on far out of Vanille's view. _

_Moments later, the fog Vanille stopped moving. She took a few steps away from the true Vanille, and turned to lock eyes with her. Her gaze was powerful, and Vanille felt herself forced to stare into the ground, or what seemed like the ground. The space below her looked exactly like the space to the left, and the right, and above her. However the space shimmered and dispersed, ripples flowing beneath her as if a rock was tossed into a pond. Vanille's own reflection materialized, but stood as a mirror version of herself beneath the fog imposter. Looking down past her own two feet, Vanille found nothing staring back at her. It seemed that a reflection of herself stood beneath the fog copy of Vanille. _

"_I am what you cannot be, but you once were what I will become._

_I am what only blind can see, and of infinity and one, I am the sum._

_I am the cure, and I am the cancer."_

_Vanille couldn't tell who spoke, but it wasn't her own voice. Soon, the fog imposter who brought her into the Void vanished, her form whisked away by some invisible breeze. Vanille felt the commanding, yet reassuring presence of Fang by her side, and turned to see the raven-haired woman standing behind her. They shared confused glances, both unsure of what was actually happening. Fang nodded, and took Vanille's hand into her own, the two women feeling the sudden urge to look behind them. _

_Something new had been created. The being was of difficult description. A male-like figure floated in the space of the Void. His skin was a dull slate, and the man had no features on him. He was absent of eyes, a nose, lips, and ears. The figure looked well muscled, but ultimately took the facade of a mannequin. The life-like doll hung motionless in the air by chains. Hooked metal chains forced the arms into a crossed position on top of the mannequins muscled chest. Chains held the legs bent by the knee, but kept the form from moving into a ball. A hooked chain, impaled into the body from the back, kept the mannequin afloat, but Vanille reasoned that the chain wasn't necessary._

_The mumbling had grown into into something more understandable. The mannequin, or some other unknown entity repeated the words as if on a loop. The speaker was genderless, and monotone, but the voice became significantly louder once the three or four billowing blue balls of light floated into the mannequins eye sockets. _

"_Humans..._

_Watching. Waiting. Shaping. Faking. _

_Shocking. Pumping. Mocking. Stopping. _

_Falling. Stalling. Warning. Crawling. _

_Rejecting. Perfecting. Loving. Ending. _

_The formula is incomplete."_

_A circle was drawn beneath the mannequin, intricate shapes and designs encompassing and within the circle. The mannequin was lowered by the chains to remain in the center of the circle, it's glowing blue eye sockets radiating a ghastly light. _

"_Thirty-five liters of water. Twenty kilograms of carbon. Four liters of ammonia. One-and-a-half kilograms of lime. Eight-hundred grams of phosphorus. Two-hundred and fifty grams of salt. One hundred grams of potassium nitrate. Eighty grams of sulphur. Seven-and-a-half grams of fluorine. Five grams of iron. Three grams of silicon."_

_One by one, the various chemicals and elements were born into existence, surrounding the mannequin. The gasses did not float away, gravity not being an issue in the Void. Vanille and Fang watched curiously, gazing upon the chemicals entering the mannequin. _

_Moments later, the circle disappeared, the chemicals and elements joining the mannequin. The chains disappeared. The mannequin lay in its original position, seemingly lifeless. With another word from the unknown speaker, the mannequin's eyes flared, and the doll sprung to life. The muscled, gray-skinned man got to his feet with ease, and stood proudly. It was absent of features, besides the twin plumes of blue light where his eyes should be. The mannequin-person stared off into the never ending horizon. _

"_I shall name thee Aditya, and I have thought you up, as well as thought of the idea for a new species. You shall lead the first Humans into prosperity on my lands of Gran Pulse. Come, there is much to learn."_

* * *

**Four days after the events of Chapter Ten...**

Fang opened her eyes, feeling the mad rush of vertigo leave her. Her mind was violently and abruptly pulled from the dream she was having. The cryptic messages, the strange figures, and the mysterious voice...they all seemed like distant memories at this point.

She was curled up into a ball, a large thick piece of cloth fashioned into a blanket lay haphazardly across her body. As the morning sun began its ascent, the rays of warmth began to shower Fang's unnaturally cold body. Fang was shivering, and felt the goosebumps creep across her skin. She felt disoriented, and confused, but soon the memories of the past few days reminded her of the current predicament.

Before rolling over, Fang felt the warm presence of someone pressing on her back. The raven-haired woman rose her head, and turned to see who it was. Pressed tight against Fang's back, Vanille's balled up form was fast asleep. Light whimpers escaped her lips, telling Fang that she was having a nightmare of some sort. Fang rolled onto her other side, and wrapped her arms around the smaller form of Vanille, who unconsciously squirmed closer to Fang.

The act in a whole was a little unprecedented. The last time Fang and Vanille had been in this position was rather three years or three weeks depending on how you counted. There was more than one occasion where Fang would find Vanille sleeping right next to her. She didn't mind, and things eventually had grown to the point where Fang would find it odd if Vanille _didn't _join Fang for sleep.

Only recently had Fang and Vanille left New Bodhum. The two had traveled for quite awhile, reaching a favorite spot of Fang's. They were on top of a large mountain, able to see the sprawling lands of Gran Pulse play out all around them. Of course nowadays the Gran Pulse Fang knew and loved had changed drastically over the three years. Fang herself witnessed the fal'Cie of Gran Pulse aid the humans in the creation of their vast cities. Fang spat on the ground after seeing, cursing the fal'Cie for aiding the humans now when her own people were dying only five-hundred years ago.

The mountain the two were on was nestled in a mountain range dividing Oerba and the close city of New Bodhum. The humans had blown a path through the mountains, directly connecting the Archylte Steppe with the snowy white tundra of Oerba. The pass was many miles long, but nonetheless, New Bodhum and Oerba had a close connection. The two cities could aid each other with relative ease in time of emergencies. Fang did not know where New Nautilus was built, but she reasoned it would have the same chances of survival as Paddra. Fang found it odd that Paddra and Haerii would split off from the newly made human nation.

Taejin's Tower remained unchanged over the three years Fang and Vanille were absent from their homeland. The Tower remained untouched, however its resident fal'Cie, Dahaka, seemed to be more active nowadays. Looking above the Tower, Fang could see the morning sun rise higher. The burning sky encompassed the land with bright yellows, reds, and oranges.

The crystallized shell of Cocoon was the only entity to rival the might of the sun or the moon. The viper's nest was dark, except for a few glowing gold specks. Fang could only stare up at it and wonder what horrifying metal monster would come at her and Vanille next. She'd keep Vanille safe, but she was already a handful. The crystal stalk refracted the rays of the light to make rainbows, and despite the situation, Fang couldn't help but marvel at the majesty of her homeland. Even with human industrialization, and the aid of fal'Cie, Gran Pulse would never truly be tamed.

Fang heard the soft, gentle yawn escape from Vanille, laced with enough sleep to make an Adamantoise tremble. The amber-haired girl rubbed her eyes, drew in a big gulp of air, and started to get onto her feet. It was then, she realized, that she was being held in place. Vanille turned around slowly, and saw Fang stare right into her bright emerald eyes with a smirk on her face.

"Morning, beautiful. Sleep well?" Fang half-asked and half-joked. Her arms hesitated to retract back to her sides, Fang suddenly remembering that the Vanille she was sleeping with wasn't actually the real Vanille, yet. She kept the makeshift blanket over her body, and noticed that in her sleep, Vanille had wrapped herself in the own blanket she insisted on grabbing and nearly cocoon'd herself next to Fang.

Vanille squinted her eyes, not enjoying the joke as much as Fang was. "Dammit, Fang, you know I'm not into this kinda thing."

Fang felt a little hurt, but Vanille had improved by a copious amount in the past four days. They had become friendlier, which was a start, and Vanille had began to believe Fang when she told her about her lost memory. Vanille calling Fang by her real name became natural now, but Vanille still insisted on being called Myst. Fang never inquired much about it, and decided to let it slide now that Vanille was making progress.

"Hey, don't blame me. You're the one who crawled into bed with me." Fang said, laughing. Vanille rolled her eyes, and and got onto her feet to begin her morning activities. She tried to brush her tangled auburn tresses into something presentable, and soon Vanille was sporting her classic pig tails.

Fang stood up and stretched. While Vanille was busy getting ready, Fang cracked the bones in her body, satisfied with their responses. Annoyed with the light brushes of cool morning air on her bare skin, Fang reached for the clothes she had taken four days ago. She slipped on her black T-shirt and boy shorts that she had originally found on her when she woke up in the holding cell. Fang put on her dark green shorts over that, and reached for her spear.

"I'm gonna go—" she began, but stopped when she heard the leaves rustle and few twigs snap. The birds stopped their constant chirping, and Fang crouched in a defensive stance. Her eyes and ears were peeled for the coming intruder.

A very short man, probably shorter than Vanille, Fang reasoned, revealed himself from the path leading up towards Fang and Vanille's campsite. His armor was a dark black, with thick plates to cover his chest and legs, something that probably wasn't necessary when not going out to combat. A pistol was holstered on his waist, giving Fang the idea that the intruder wasn't expecting a fight.

The man's helmet was off, revealing his face. He had a sharp, point chin, and high cheek bones, giving his face a slightly disturbing look. A small metal apparatus was hooked onto his ear, a blue screen extending from the piece to cover his right eye. He paused, dead in his tracks, immediately recognizing the woman watching him.

"Who are you?" Fang simply asked, her spear at the ready.

"The name's Pawn. I'm here to help."

* * *

Over and above the rollings plains of the Archylte Steppe, Knight's airship soared, the passengers eager to reach their destination. Lightning Farron sat calmly in her seat, but as the minutes turned to hours, her patience was beginning to wear thin. As is normal, Lightning had received another mission for her and C.H.E.S.S to take care of. This mission, however, took far greater importance than the others. Gran Pulse was going through radical changes, and now was the pivotal time to ensure the human's survival.

The twenty days after Paddra had thrown Bartholomew and the Republic into complete chaos. With the aid of the fal'Cie, they were able to rapidly construct cities and settlements. The fal'Cie would handpick l'Cie to do certain deeds in exchange for their services. The Republic couldn't handle the stress of war yet, the budding civilization hardly capable of survival once weaned off the aid of the fal'Cie.

Ready or not, war was coming. Lightning had taken the time to speak with Bartholomew after the events of Paddra transpired. She recounted most of the information she heard: PSICOM Director Lucas Lynch is leading the army. Lightning explained to Bartholomew the details to Operation: Spearhead, and the fate of Rygdea and the Rejected Ones. Lightning withheld information about the Projects though, and thus kept the existence of Fang and Vanille a secret. Keeping that last bit of information was best for now, she thought. Lightning would want to make sure she knew the whole story around Fang and Vanille's existence before outright attacking them.

Bartholomew was obviously awestruck. Those feelings soon changed to utter exhaustion. Lightning knew ruling a civilization was going to be difficult, but managing a war was going to be outright insane! Plans and strategies had to be made, an army draft had to be called, and not to mention weapons, armor, and transportation. The funds alone would cripple the nation! The economy had already suffered a blow once trading with Paddra ceased, and if another city falls, PSICOM could win the fight by preventing the Republic from harvesting the few and precious resources found on Gran Pulse.

Bartholomew immediately deduced that Oerba would the prime target. Once the head was severed, PSICOM would just be cleaning up. Fortifications had to be built, supplies had to be rationed, and the soldiers had to be experienced. Time was not on their side.

Lightning and Bartholomew both took a great interest in what Lucas meant by "The Master's Focus." Pawn and others had already been sent to investigate and garner information on PSICOM, but Lightning had a feeling that the true answer would be found in the lifeless husk of Cocoon. It had shocked Bartholomew, believing that Fang and Vanille had ended PSICOM and fal'Cie threat once they crystallized Cocoon, but now hearing that PSICOM was back and stronger than ever.

The Republic was desperate. With the fall of Paddra serving as the only warning to PSICOM's declared war, there was absolutely no time to raise a viable defense. These desperate times called for desperate measures, indeed. Bartholomew immediately set out on requesting the aid of the Republic's allies, few they were.

Which led Lightning here: On Knight's airship, traveling to the cult-city of Haerii. The cult-city was ruled by the Bandit Kings and Nomads, but was an ally of Paddra first and foremost. Lightning wished to forge an alliance between the Republic and Haerii. More importantly, Lightning was there to speak with Titan.

The plane shook, snapping Lightning out of her trance. Her eyes were focused on the wilderness of Gran Pulse. Her mind had wandered back to her adventures here as a l'Cie three years ago many times throughout the trip, only solidifying it once Lightning began to see them in her dreams. Looking back, the entire situation was crazy, insane almost. Six nobodies going on a suicide mission to take down their government ruled by god-machines...seemed possible, right? But, against all odds, the six Pulse l'Cie had succeeded!

An important thing had changed that day, once Orphan was slain. Humans were free to rule themselves now, and a new era was about to be written. The events happening now would forever more be written in the history books of later generations...if they win the war. Lightning promised Snow, Serah, and most importantly herself, that she would make time for Serah. She promised that they would live a different life, a better life. If the world was going to be cut short once again, it was time to live in the moment, and to make sure to die without any regrets.

Secretly, Lightning felt anxious for the coming war. The thrill of striking down opponent after opponent, the rush of adrenaline with each pump of your leg, fighting was as much of a drug to Lightning as beer is to alcoholics. Fighting was addicting, and the feeling of being on the constant verge of death kept Lightning's heart beating. She was happy, nay, excited, that PSICOM declared war. Lightning just knew she couldn't over do things. She couldn't be too reckless and get cocky, she still had to win.

Lightning briefly thought about the fate of Fang and Vanille. Had they made it out of Paddra alive? Did the Potion she gave Fang heal Vanille? Why the hell were they in PSICOM armor and killing Pulsians? Lightning would never admit it, but she had become friends with Fang and Vanille, and the thought of seeing them betray their people angered Lightning, but the thought of them dying also frightened her. A target is a target, but this time things were personal.

_There had to have been a certain reason why they'd be helping out PSICOM scum..._

Lightning entertained the idea, brainstorming reasons why Fang and Vanille would be the enemy. She couldn't think of anything that was too outrageous or totally unbelievable. Once Lightning's own questions are answered, would the decision to challenge Fang and Vanille arise. With time running short, Lightning concluded that she would only be able to answer questions if she went to the source, but getting there was impossible.

_Pfft, impossible? You slew Orphan and defied your fate as a l'Cie and you think flying into Cocoon is impossible? _

Lightning shook her head, dismissing her thoughts of Fang and Vanille. Like everything else, they would have to be dealt with later. Unfortunately, her mind wandered to the stranger Serah and Snow were stupid enough to let into their home. The guy was a fucking maniac, Lightning thought, her face contorting into a sickening look when she recalled the crescent moon carved onto his chest with the razor blade. Lightning made sure Snow was hit hard enough to learn his lesson.

_That guy was Project:Blaze...so he's just like Fang and Vanille! Crap! I should've taken him down and interrogated him..._

Lightning rubbed the light red patch of skin on her neck, a mark left by Blaze when he jabbed her with his fingers. She was caught off guard by the insane strength and power of his spells, knowing that l'Cie magic couldn't pull similar things off by normal standards. If Blaze was going to be a predictably difficult enemy, Lightning only wondered how strong Fang and Vanille were. She mentally groaned, the stress of so much going on getting to her just like Bartholomew.

Lightning turned her head away from the window, her eyes thoroughly tired with the view. Sitting to her right, was Rook. The large, olive-toned man sat up straight and stared ahead. One could mistake him for a statue. His hammer was right next to him, leaning up against the walls of the airship. Knight was in the pilot's chair, in front of Lightning. Sitting next to Knight was Bishop, the fair skinned woman chatting some nonsensical things with Knight. The seat behind Lightning was empty, reserved for Pawn. Even though C.H.E.S.S works best as single coherent unit, Bartholomew will on occasion assign members of the elite military group solo missions. Pawn was sent out to investigate the ruins of Paddra, to find any survivors, and by special request from Lightning, to find spy on Fang and Vanille, wherever they might be.

The airship was a small, light craft. Capable of comfortably sitting six passengers as well as plenty of storage. The airship was made for C.H.E.S.S' own personal use, since nearly all missions required travel to far and distant lands.

Staring through the window once more, the view of Haerii caught Lightning's eye. Just like Paddra, Haerii is a cult-city, meaning that it wasn't like New Bodhum or Oerba. Governments and police systems weren't in place. The Bandit Kings or Cult Leader's ruled the city, and their lackeys policed it. The laws being enforced changed all the time; leadership in Haerii was unstable, and there was always someone to challenge the new leader. The Planetfall survivors rebuilt most of Haerii from the Archaeopolis, however the new sections of the city was constructed right into the Faultwarrens, leading up to Titan's Throne itself.

Poverty and crime were common here, and dozens of people were crammed into tiny shanty towns and shacks. Small ghetto's would pop up all round Haerii, with violence and rioting soon to follow. There was no line between rich and poor, noted Lightning. Everyone had terrible living conditions. A network of bridges, wires, and elevators kept the cult-city connected, and a massive marketplace dominated the center.

The cultists worshipped Titan as if he himself was the Maker. They provided offerings and sacrifices, and in return Titan would pass his judgement among the peoples of the Haerii. Titan, this massive obsidian fal'Cie, was the reason Lightning was here. The soldier girl wanted to defend her new homeland, and demanded that the fal'Cie rise to protect it as well. Lightning only hoped what Titan would want in return wasn't too...life changing.

Rings of smoke rose past the airship, a primitive form of communicating between the various groupings of ramshackle houses. Families were nonexistent, people just lived together with whoever they chose and left whenever they chose to do so. Morals and laws didn't apply in Haerii.

As the buildings in the Faultwarrens came into view, Knight slowly began to descend. The airship circled around a plateau close to Titan's Throne, and moments later they touched the ground. Lightning mentally sighed to herself, and reached for her gunblade. The weapon glinted handsomely in the sunlight pouring through the window, and for a moment Lightning wished it didn't have to be tarnished with the blood and gore of her foes.

"Well," Knight began, taking off the goggles covering his eyes, and sounding far too happy for Lightning's taste. "We're here at Haerii, everyone. Get yer shit and get out."

Moments later everyone had made it out of the airship. To embark on the next step of their journey, Lightning and C.H.E.S.S would have to have an audience with Titan. Off the plateau, the four strode off, noting the disturbing lack of people. Metaphorically speaking, tumbleweeds would be everywhere. The houses, the roads, the small amount of buildings were empty, and the city was deathly quiet. A crow's caw broke the silence for a heartbeat, before flying away.

The ramps and wooden bridges were covered in bramble, giving the appearance that no one had used them in ages. Crossing the bridges were dangerous, a fall from such a height no undoubtedly ending in a gruesome death. Lightning was wide alert, eyes ready to for an ambush, or to spot any other living being for that matter. The group of four had been walking for only ten minutes, and not a soul was around.

Eventually, however, Lightning and C.H.E.S.S found what they were looking for. Titan's Throne. The entrance to the seat of the fal'Cie began with a great staircase made of stone. An archway was formed above the staircase, attached to the two cliff faces on the opposite sides. A lit torch jutted out from the archway, providing little illumination. Light was not needed at this point, but descending deeper into the crevasse to Titan's Throne would slowly cut off contact with the sun. The staircase was wide, and led down. A pair of torches every few meters could be seen, all lit with an eldritch green flame. The staircase looked natural, formed by erosion instead of being carved by men. The stone was not from around the Archylte Steppe, Lightning concluded, but found it not too interesting.

The group headed deeper, Knight and Bishop occasionally sharing bits and pieces of information. Rook remained silent and stoic, as is the norm, but kept his hammer in hand. The giant man too felt Lightning's alert and cautious nature. Seeking a fal'Cie was difficult, the god-machines falling into an aloof and distant state once humans began to inhabit Gran Pulse once more.

The abyss began to grow narrow, and Lightning found herself bumping shoulders with a few of her teammates. Still, the lines of lit green torches guided them along, not that there wasn't breaks or forks in the path, but Lightning began to rely more on the torches as the light slipped away. Along the staircase broken and shattered pillars came into view, seemingly randomly built and destroyed on purpose. Eventually the sounds of a rock fell down one of the steps, and incited the crowd of beasts.

Unseen but heard, the roars and cries of the different animals of Gran Pulse made Lightning known to there presence. The sounds of small birds chirped loudly and quickly between each other, periodically interrupted by the bay of a gorgonopsid or the squelching, churning sounds of a Flan on the move. The uproar thundered down the chasm, echoing off the rocky walls and amplifying once inside Lightning's ears. The animals were constant, and the barking grew painful. Lightning clutched her ear, sharing a visage of pain and discontent with Bishop. The onyx-haired woman grimaced, the attractive features of her face contorting into one of annoyance.

"Shut up why don't ya! Just shut yer yappers or I'll blast your brains out!" Bishop growled, challenging the noisy crowd of creatures above them. The fair skinned woman abruptly grabbed Knight's All-Purpose Anti-Materia Rifle, his APAMR, and shot a few rounds in the air. The outburst quieted the deafening wail of the creatures surrounding them, and all was quiet.

"Whew, _finally._" Bishop exhaled a sigh of relief, and turned to see Lightning's 'Oh no you didn't' stare. The brown eyed woman locked eyes with Lightning's steel blue. Lightning saw Bishop frown in disappointment, and shrug her shoulders. "Sorry, boss lady. I had to do what had to be—"

"Hey!" Knight shouted, snatching his APAMR from Bishop. "I told you not to use my gun! You could break it!" the man removing his black shades for emphasis. By now all of C.H.E.S.S knew that Knight was touchy when it came to mishandling his possessions.

"And I told you not go out clubbing because I had to file paperwork all damn day, but _no, _you just had to go out and stare at the blonde chicks ass all day!" Bishop countered, balling up her fists.

Lightning was growing impatient. She never really liked breaking up a couples fight, and Knight and Bishop were infamous for them. The two were together one day, and single the next. The two loved each other, Lightning was sure of that, but they just couldn't stand being near each other for long periods of time. Lightning mostly didn't like breaking up fights like these mostly due to her lack of experience with how couples worked. She had watched and learned from Serah and Snow, so Lightning didn't know much when it came to couples, their fights, and dating. She tapped her steel-toed boot against the stone staircase, bothered. Rook had joined Lightning by her side, probably enjoying the quarrel, Lightning assumed.

"Aw, come on, babe!" Knight responded, strapping his rifle onto his back. "You know your ass is the only one I need." A big smile was stretched across his face, sure of himself that Bishop would quickly forgive him. The onyx haired woman shoved Knight away, playfully.

"Oh, fine, ya big goof. I'm just gonna kick yer ass later."

The sounds of footsteps stopped the four in their tracks. Lightning scolded herself for not noticing the people coming up the staircase after Bishop shot Knight's gun. With the way sound travels in the ravine, Lightning was sure half of Gran Pulse heard them! Carrying similar blazing green torches, a group of nearly a dozen figures surrounded C.H.E.S.S. They were garbed in black hooded cloaks, covering most of their face and body. They all wore black boots and pants, and black scarves covering up most of their mouths. Every single one had a pair of paper white gloves on. The only skin they revealed was a thin strip on their face not covered by the hood and scarf.

Lightning immediately recognized them. Cultists. The strawberry blonde had access to bountiful sources of information due to her past heroics and her current military position. Bartholomew kept her and C.H.E.S.S well informed to combat enemies of all kinds. Lightning had never encountered Cultists in a fight, but had heard reports that they used strange magics gifted to them by the fal'Cie. Lightning reasoned that Titan was turning them into l'Cie, yet rumors and reports of l'Cie hadn't surfaced since the humans arrived on Gran Pulse three years prior.

A Cultist stepped, notifying Lightning that this one was the parties' leader. The Cultist stood a head taller than the others, and kept most of it's hood down, revealing striking green eyes. Lightning could see strands of ochre hair clinging to the Cultist's face. The Cultist leader wore a a belt wrapped around it's waist, a sheathed short sword attached. A pistol was holstered on the hip opposite the sword. The leader had white gloves like the others, but had a red sash entwining around the left arm. The leader strode towards Lightning and C.H.E.S.S, the four had their weapons at the ready. The four went into formation, with Lightning standing defiantly before the leader. The leader bowed, before pulling off his hood, revealing his ochre hair, clinging to his face. The man was heavily tanned, a mystery since hardly any light reached the abyss.

"I am Weave, Summoner of Eight-And-A-Half-Tails." the leader said, introducing himself. His arms were kept still at his sides, his beryl eyes kept locked onto Lightning. The other Cultists fanned out around C.H.E.S.S, a few brandishing swords and pistols, others pointing their gloved hands at them.

"Who are you, and why have you come here?" he questioned, an arm rising to lower his followers' firearms.

Lightning kept her gunblade, her Blazefire Saber, at the ready. She was wary of the Cultists, even with their weapons down. Cultists were the tricksters, the thieves, the curse crafters, and the all around weirdo's of Gran Pulse. Cultists were in the same pool as the Bandits and Nomads. No one of the three groups desired unified civilization like the Republic did. The Nomads were the free thinkers, the outcasts, and challengers of modern society back on Cocoon. Nomads wanted a radical change in lifestyle, their ultimate wish to be free of complete control. The Bandits were groups of highwaymen, robbers, cutpurses, and murderers. Even on Cocoon, crime still existed. Bandits were just a united coalition of burglars. To Lightning, Bandits were of no threat, a mere thorn in her side. Nomads were peaceful, farming and living off the land like the Old Pulsians.

Nomads and Cultists had discovered Old Pulsian Analects, and Nomads went off in pursuit to revive the dead culture after five-hundred years. Cultists were obsessed with the workings of fal'Cie and l'Cie in Old Pulsian and Cocoon society. Cultists were the radicals, spending their lives worshipping their living deities, in hopes of one day finding their own salvation. Ideas of religion were farfetched, the Cultists were trekking through uncharted territory. Ultimately, Lightning couldn't trust them, in fact, no one should!

"I am Lightning." the strawberry blonde replied, her gunblade stopping at Weave. The other Cultists took a step forward, and Rook rose his hammer high into the sky.

"Ease, brothers and sisters!" Weave shouted, his gloved hands rising, palms outstretched. "I ask you this again, Lightning," the words coming out deep and profane when pronouncing Lightning's name. "Why have you come here?"

"We seek audience with Titan." she said cooly, nodding slowly to Bishop, Rook, and Knight, before her eyes returned to Weave. The Cultists broke into hysterics, the cloaked figures scoffing and laughing at Lightning's statement. Weave remained silent, his eyes trained on Lightning's.

"Titan does not speak with the likes of you. Leave. _Now._ You are not welcome here." Weave responded, his face showing a complete utter lack of emotion. A gust of wind swept through the abyss, blowing out the eldritch green torches. The howl silenced the Cultists, and Weave rose his head to the sky.

"_The Deliverer of Souls shall not be denied audience. None bar entrance to the once wayward l'Cie! Let them pass."_

The booming voice of the obsidian fal'Cie roared through the crevasse, and Lightning noted the frightened looks the Cultists were sharing. Weave turned back to gaze at Lightning, looking as emotionless as ever. Out of a pouch attached to his belt, the cloaked man grabbed a carved stick, the top covered in sticky pitch. A gloved hand covered the torch, and a green aura showered the stick. The torch lit ablaze with jade fire, and Weave removed his hand.

"Let them pass." Weave commanded, repeating the words of the fal'Cie. Lightning exhaled a sigh of relief, but slowly lowered her weapon. The Cultists moved back to Weave, sharing words of distaste about Lightning and the others. She turned Bishop, and then Knight, and finally Rook. They all shared doubtful looks, but were satisfied with the turn of events. Lightning and C.H.E.S.S took a step forward, before being stopped in their tracks.

"No. Restrain them first." Weave instructed. "If you wish to see Titan, you will do so under my watch. Tyrion, Eva. Hands." Two Cultists appeared from behind Weave, both standing slightly shorter than their leader. Each pulled their respective hoods down, revealing similar sets of striking green eyes. They went to opposite sides of Lightning and the other three, and thrusted their gloved hands out to them.

A crackling, electric green aura clouded around their hands. Lightning's eyes widened, and quickly charged. As her name implied, she quickly moved out of the crowd of Cultists. The other three were slow to follow.

"The Cage of Hands." Tyrion and Eva chanted in unison. Transparent handprints formed and surrounded Rook, Knight, and Bishop. The hands kept them close together, and made sure they couldn't escape, as long as the two Cultists were channeling the spell. Weave quickly caught Lightning, the strawberry blonde whipping around to strike the ochre haired man with her gunblade. As quick as a flash, Weave had caught Lightning's sword in his gloved hand. A similar green aura resonated from his hand, and a small trickle of blood flowed from his hand.

"We will kill your friends if you do not cooperate." Weave simply stated. Lightning retracted her gunblade, and sheathed it. She looked back at the squished mass of Rook, Bishop, and Knight. The Cage of Hands had them uncomfortable and shoulder to shoulder. They couldn't get out, and Lightning couldn't get in. She eyed Weave, who stared back silently.

"Fine...But you _will _bring me to Titan." Lightning said, her voice rising for emphasis. She tapped the casing of her Blazefire lightly, telling Weave and the Cultists that she wouldn't hesitate to kill them. Weave nodded, and strode past Lightning with his small legion of Cultists behind. Eva and Tyrion trailed slowly behind, keeping the spell channeled.

Lightning followed the group through the chasm. The trip only took a few minutes, but with Knight's incessant, annoying complaints, coupled with Bishop shouting out death threats and struggling against the abnormal enchantment, made the whole venture feel like an eternity.

When the staircase finally ended, the trapped members of C.H.E.S.S were silent. They had reached the central apex of the Faultwarrens. As Lightning and the Cultists went on, they passed another carved archway, a similar green torch lighting the path. There were a few unharmed pillars here, the stone constructs appearing to be in better condition than the few Lightning had seen previously. The winding path finally came to a close, and the narrow crevasse opened to reveal the Titan's Throne.

The path led out to a vast cliff ledge, jutting out from the mountain. Shielding her eyes from the blazing sunlight, Lightning could see that the pass had led them through a mountain on a far stretch of the Faultwarrens. The buildings that had seemed out of place in Haerii, owned by the Bandit King, were outlined faintly in the distance, their plumes of smoke lazily floating away. The far ramparts of the Bandit King's fortress, the only stable structure surrounded by the sea of shacks, tents, and shanty towns.

The fiery visage of the sun hung high in the afternoon sky. It actually quite a beautiful day. The sky was a bright azure, void of clouds. A few Wyverns flew, circling around each other in search of prey. Behind Lightning, the crystal stalk of Cocoon was planted in the ground, the great orb in its grasp barely visible at this height and angle. The verdant green grass was healthy, and swept easily by the lightest breeze. The soil beneath was black, earthy, and fertile. Lightning assumed nothing less from Titan, the guardian of Gran Pulse's ecosystem. The bio-genitor created the strongest, and most enduring of species, keeping the legend alive that everything on Gran Pulse was tough. To live here, one has to learn to fight.

A half circle of crystallized structures were planted around edge of the cliff ledge. As Weave and the Cultists led Lightning onward, the crystal structures were in fact crystallized l'Cie. The humans floated in various different positions, all frozen in time. The rays of light refracted off the translucent surface of the crystal, forming small rainbows.

Finally, the massive fal'Cie, Titan, was found before the mountain. The monstrous god-machine stood on the ground, the upper parts of his shoulders, neck, and head revealed to Lightning, Weave, and the others. The obsidian fal'Cie was stoic, nearly motionless, only his loud, ragged gasps of breath audible. Streaks of brighter red flowed through the magma like trim around his plated body. The eyes, or at least what Lightning thought was his eyes, flared.

"_At lasssssssst."_ Titan began, his voice slow, and deep. The fal'Cie spoke, emphasizing the "t". "_The Deliverer of Souls has arrived. Weave foretold you would arrive here. I know of the struggles conflicting you, Deliverer of Souls. What do you sssssseek, from an old soul like me?"_

Lightning looked back towards Rook, Knight, and Bishop, who seemed preoccupied with arguing against their captors. The strawberry blonde's gaze focused on Weave, who merely stared back with his own emotionless gaze. Lightning abandoned Weave and the other Cultists, striding towards the very edge of the cliff to speak with Titan. She knew what had to be said, and what had to be done.

The question was outrageous. Asking a fal'Cie for assistance? Fang and Vanille had even told her that the fal'Cie lent no assistance to the people of Oerba five-hundred years ago. The fal'Cie only made more l'Cie, the god-machine's incapable of fighting on their own. But, now was not the time to scold Titan. Lightning knew the situation of the Republic, and without some form of assistance, defeat would be certain against PSICOM. She would not swallow her pride and beg either, Lightning had some dignity, but Bartholomew would blow a gasket if Lightning came back to Oerba without the aid of the fal'Cie.

"My name is Lightning," she introduced, a hand going to her back to grab her Blazefire Saber. "If what you say is true, and you do know why I am here, then will you help us? If humans are to survive, we need your aid!"

Titan took a deep breath, the magma flowing across the lines in his armor emanating bright red clouds.

"_No. The humans have dramatically changed Pulse's ecosystem. I agreed to provide you with species of livestock and crops so your species would flourish, in turn for the defeat of The Undying, but now you have gone too far. Humans have industrialized and spread out far too quickly than expected. Your species is slowly destroying the other species of life, and to keep the natural balance of Pulse in order, the humans must be tested."_

Lightning balled her hands into fists. She clenched them hard, her knuckles turning ghostly white. She refused to take no as answer. She wouldn't let Serah, everyone close to her, and the entire human race down! Lightning would never stand aside and let her people burn. She had to persuade the fal'Cie.

"But why? Do you know the consequences of this war? PSICOM is out to destroy everything! Their leader, Lucas, wants to burn all of Gran Pulse to the ground for his own nefarious schemes! Keeping him unchecked would do more damage to the ecosystem in the long run! We gave you countless humans to become l'Cie to serve and do your bidding, it's time you repay us! The humans nee—"

"_Enough!" _Titan interrupted, his deafening voice roaring and shaking the earth itself. The once bright and happy sky slowly turned a darker color. _"Humans are a cancer, leeching off the life I create! You have brought nothing but destruction! I care not for the lives you of humans, as your extinction only balances the natural order."_

"Don't you understand?" Lightning replied calmly, trying to reason with the raging fal'Cie.

"Gran Pulse is your home, and now we share it with you. If it is being threatened, won't you rise to protect it, as we, mere humans, are? In life a person has to pick a cause, a purpose for his or her own existence. That person will die for that cause. Humans haven't been on Gran Pulse for over five hundred years, and now my people will stand up and fight for our new home! The word has been spreading throughout my people, and we are preparing the war that will come!" Lightning explained, finding new found courage and strength to speak against Titan.

"As a fal'Cie, you were built to preserve the balance of nature, Gran Pulse's ecosystem! With war on the horizon, PSICOM will disrupt the balance so drastically that all of Gran Pulse will be destroyed! Their leader, Lucas, is intent on ravaging Gran Pulse with his crusade! He plans to wipe out everything to fulfill his Master! As is your Focus, you must defend Pulse against the invaders!"

Lightnings fists shook, and her legs felt wobbly. She hoped her speech got through to the fal'Cie. The strawberry blonde swallowed nervously, and a finger tapped the case to her gunblade. Titan was silent, except for his constant, ragged breaths.

"_You are correct, Deliverer of Souls. I was made to preserve Pulse's ecosystem, and provide stimulation needed to prevent ecological stagnation. I must preserve the natural order, but you humans have proven as much of a nuisance as your fellow invading humans appear to be. I shall not aid you, but I shall barter a deal with you. I can make you into a l'Cie, and you'll have the freedom to choose your Focus prior to the transformation. As the Deliverer of Souls, you have experience as a l'Cie, and this time your powers will grow far stronger. Like Weave and my other servants, they are l'Cie."_

The question floated around in Lightning's mind. In all her life, she couldn't think of a time where her decision right now would have such an everlasting effect. She swallowed down a lump in her throat, and took a deep breath.

She knew her decision.


	14. Chapter 12

**Okay, everyone! Here it is! The latest chapter to the story. Whew! Coming back I'd think I would start with something small to get back into the flow of things but this chapter is my largest one yet!**

**Well, I hope you like reading it as I certainly enjoyed writing it. I'll try to get Chapter 13 out by the end of March. Thanks to the people who reviewed, favorited, and subscribed. The story is not dead!**

**I do, however, suggest that you guys briefly look over the Intermission again, or at least Chapter 11 to jog your memories. **

**Word Guide:**

**Blaze = Edgar Vanille = Myst Fang = Naga **

**During Lightning's section, **_words like these are thoughts, while those with quotes around them are memories, or Titan speaking._

**During Blaze's section, **_words like these are thoughts, while those with quotes around them is Lucy talking._

**Awake**

**Chapter Twelve: Fulfilling the Focus**

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"_Will you become a l'Cie, Deliverer of Souls?"_

Titan's voice boomed, his words carrying out far beyond The Faultwarrens. The air around Lightning and the others grew heavy and thick. The air swirled and whooshed around them, flowing upwards to collectively gather at Titan's crown. Above, the sky was dark and stormy. Black, angry puffs of clouds ringed the head of the great fal'Cie. His red, molten eyes remained centered on Lightning. The gusts of wind howled in the soldier girl's ears, any words from her mouth quickly lost to the strengthening vortex. The others were silent, fully enraptured by the spectacle.

Lightning swallowed, a hint of doubt hanging over her. Deep in thought, her hand instinctively reached for the hilt of her gunblade. She flashed back to her previous experience as a l'Cie. Running from the government and PSICOM, becoming social pariahs and hated by people who would normally treat her kindly, defying what fate had set before them, only to play into Barthandelus' evil plan from the beginning. The list continued.

Sure, never becoming a l'Cie would have meant never meeting Hope, or Sazh, or Fang and Vanille. But to Lightning, for all that is at stake when becoming a l'Cie, meeting new friends and embarking on a world-changing adventure didn't compensate. Of course that would have meant abandoning her sister, and living with the fact that she could have done something. But her journey as a l'Cie was eye-opening. She set foot on Pulse, the single place every person on Cocoon hated and feared for all their lives. She set foot on Pulse, and bested the greatest creatures that came across her path! Would she have willingly chosen to fight these monstrosities? Any sane person would say no, that she only faced them as a l'Cie, and they would be right.

But damn was it a tough choice.

Become a l'Cie and reach power the likes she could only dream of? A l'Cie would nearly ensure victory in the coming war, a war that will cost thousands of lives. Paddra was only the beginning. But to do so, Lightning would have to sacrifice her own life; and while a noble, selfless deed, Serah would never allow Lightning to do something like that. Snow would insist on doing it together, without help from the fal'Cie.

"_Come on, sis! We can take 'em down together."_ Lightning could already hear the words spilling from Snow's mouth, probably with bits of food escaping along the way. _"I bet the two of us would make an awesome team! Team Storm—Yeah!"_ Lightning would simply roll her eyes at Snow's predictability. _"You know, 'cause my name's Snow and your name's Lightning..." _The blonde haired man would ramble on, a constant grin on his face as he imagined Lightning and himself fighting wave after wave of PSICOM goons. Only when Snow began spouting something outrageous would Lightning scoff at him, roll her eyes and call him an idiot. She would punch him if he continued fantasizing.

While brief, her servitude to the fal'Cie and the subsequent destruction of Orphan, Barthandelus, and other nefarious creatures were enough to validate her response. Great stores of power were bestowed upon a willing participant, Lightning was well aware of that. But this time things were different. She wasn't out to destroy her homeland, topple the government and become Ragnarok. This time she was needed to defend her newfound home. For Serah, for her people, for herself, Lightning would be the strongest line of defense against the PSICOM onslaught.

She had defied her fate once before, pushed past the limits of what normal humans were capable of and conquered her Focus. Who was to say what she could accomplish if she became a l'Cie, with powers beyond what she possessed during her first experience? She could take the battle to her enemies, take the initiative to deal quick, decisive blows against PSICOM's war machine. Their army had numbers, superior technology, and tactical genius to easily outmatch one measly human. But as a l'Cie she could stand against them, and fight until her skin was caked in the blood and gore of her foes!

Lightning stopped herself from envisioning more positives of becoming a l'Cie. She scoffed, putting the idea of a l'Cie on a pedestal, showering it with praise and thinking it was some godlike being; it was all outrageous thinking.

Lightning knew exactly why she wasn't going to become one. For humans to truly survive for millennium and overcome Gran Pulse, they would have to fight without supernatural help. Winning the war by using l'Cie would only further emphasize the human race's dependency on the fal'Cie. Lightning had to prove to Titan that they didn't need the help of a l'Cie this time around.

Besides, she couldn't possibly think of leaving Serah alone with Snow after the whole ordeal is over and Lightning becoming a hunk of crystal.

"_Well, Deliverer of Souls? What shall it be...What shall be your answer?"_ Titan's voice thundered once more, the words leaving his mouth slow and aged.

"No." Lightning replied shortly.

A deep rumbling beneath her feet swept across the ground and throughout the valley. The remains of the previous l'Cie, now mere crystal statues, shook and rattled along the edge of the grassy floor. Lightning didn't know how high up she was, but she knew if one of those crystal figures were to fall, it would shatter on impact with the ground below. Looking up, the raging sky flashed with a crack of lightning.

She twisted her head left and right. Rook, Knight, and Bishop were huddled together within the tight confines of The Cage of Hands. The two Cultists channeling the spell had their heads to the sky, the wind whipping their rust-colored hair. Weave stood motionless, seemingly aware of the strange happenings. Back to Titan, the magma coursing through his metal skin bubbled and surged. The rumbling intensified, and the ground visibly shook with anger. The various monsters residing within the canyons of the Faultwarrens cried and roared in confusion. The incessant howling stung Lightning's ears.

"_So be it."_ the obsidian giant responded. The loud booming of thunder ceased all other noise, the strange ritual seeming to end. The animals quieted and the ground stabilized. The blackened sky began to break apart by the sun's piercing beams. As quick as it all began, everything was calm. Titan shifted his massive head to scan the earth around Lightning and the others.

"_You have presented a worthy case, Deliverer of Souls. It is true that I have been constructed to preserve the well-being of Pulse's environment and its inhabitants. I am here to maintain the balance. However my design did not predict the rapid evolvement and expansion of you humans. And now, your species is proving to be far more of a nuisance than a benefit. I gave you land, crops, and livestock along with materials to foster your civilization, yet you desire more. Fal'Cie built your cities and industrialized you in exchange for willing l'Cie, and yet you desire more. Now more of you descend from the viper's nest and threaten with genocide and war. I see the ensuing conflict a fitting end to the human failure."_

Lightning unsheathed her gunblade and rose it challengingly towards the massive fal'Cie. The words he spoke were true, yes, but Lightning knew humanity had a reason to stay on the surface of Gran Pulse. Humans were not the failure Titan spoke of! Lightning knew she, and humanity as a whole were not some spontaneous decision thought up of by the Maker. They were made with a purpose in mind, the Maker had to have created humans for some reason other than to cultivate the lands and bargain with the fal'Cie of Gran Pulse and Cocoon.

She kept her posture, weapon raised high in the air, directed at Titan. Their great difference in size made the soldier girl look as intimidating as a fruit fly. Titan could probably swat her away like one, she thought to herself. Weave had made his way over to Lightning by now, seeing the anger, determination, and intensity in her cold azure eyes. A deep rumble from Titan gave pause to the head Cultist.

"Failures?" she began, her tone denouncing the words coming from the fal'Cie as if it were poison.

"We're not a bane to Gran Pulse's existence. We live off the land as best as we can, with the help of you and other fal'Cie, but humanity tries its hardest to remain self-sufficient. We use what resources we find, processing them and manufacturing them with the help of your machines, but most of it is of our own accord. We hunt animals for food and to craft goods, and only kill them when they threaten our society. Humanity is _not _on some crusade to wipe out everything that is a threat to us, _that _is what Lucas is doing! Your Focus is to prevent one species from topping the food chain, thus allowing the continued existence of all life. However, humans _are _the species to become the ultimate predator. We possess the strength, and intelligence, and the ability to adept to nearly any environment."

Titan simply remained silent to Lightning's speech. Knight and Bishop exchanged expressions of gratitude and amazement towards their fearless leader. Weave took another step towards Lightning.

"These combined traits are superior to any other creature on Gran Pulse! I think you're wrong about us—We're a success in my book!" Lightning shouted, thrusting an arm out and away from her to emphasize her point.

"_True, but it takes your own kind to threaten you. That, is where you are considered failures. The creatures of Gran Pulse, my children, hunt each other, not those of their own kind."_ Titan grumbled in response. The ground rocked a little.

Lightning paused for a moment.

"Well, yeah, you're right about that. But that is besides the point! What I'm saying is that all other creatures of Gran Pulse are our prey! I slew the seven Undying Cie'th, so you need to cough up your end of the deal."

The great machine merely rumbled, its burning eyes locked on the woman. To her, it looked like Titan was trying to melt her right where she stood. Lightning still had her sword raised high though, as if she was daring the fal'Cie to attack her.

"Woohoo! Yeah! You tell him, boss!" Knight yelled from behind, before quickly being covered by a glowing hand from the Cage. Bishop elbowed him while Lightning shot him an angry glare, disapproving of his outburst.

"_Correct, Deliverer of Souls."_ he said. A gust of wind soared past her.

"_You will soon speak with the Goddess Etro. Communicate with her, and she might give you the aid you desire. Unfortunately, fal'Cie are bound to their Focus, are unable to harm other fal'Cie, and cannot intentionally damage something outside of our Focus unless given Divine Precedence."_

He snorted, a plume of brown dust clouds escaping what appeared to be Titan's nose.

"_If what you claim is true, that humanity truly is Gran Pulse's top predator, then I will test you. Enter my Trials. The behemoths await you..."_

With that final statement, the fal'Cie turned away from his audience. He lumbered back to the seat of his throne, the ground shaking with each heavy footstep. Lightning lowered her gunblade, a little stunned by Titan's sudden exit. Spinning around on her heel, she headed over to Rook, Knight, and Bishop.

_Well...That was eventful. Since he won't help me, I guess I have nothing else to do but see what he wants me to do with the behemoths._

"Good job, boss lady!" Bishop shouted. Knight gave a thumbs up, a floating hand from the Cage still keeping his mouth shut. Rook nodded sagely. Weave blocked Lightning's path, however.

"They will remain here. You have work to do." He snapped his fingers, ending the spell the other two black-cloaked Cultists were channeling. The three C.H.E.S.S. members nearly stumbled to the ground, happy to be out of the mystical restricting prison. "Yeah, right...Like I'd trust you to and leave them alone." Lightning muttered, eyeing the two exhausted Cultists, then to Weave, and finally back to her teammates.

"Take solace in the fact that we harbor as much distrust for you as you have for us. The Great Titan has ordered a test for you. You will go." he instructed calmly. Another motion of his hand signaled for the other Cultists to leave. As they began to file back into the dark canyon, the members of C.H.E.S.S. surrounded the ochre-haired man.

"What if I say no?" she retorted, fingers lightly tapping the hilt of her gunblade. "Then you do not receive the assistance you came here for. The Great Titan has given you the Test of the Behemoth. If you succeed, you will find your aid there."

"Right..." she murmured. Lightning wasn't much for words when she wasn't trying to persuade someone. "Lets get this over with." The only other path besides heading backwards was a sloping ramp upwards and curving out of sight. The others began to follow her.

"No." Weave commanded. "You will go alone. Your friends will stay here. Titan has tasked you with this, and only you will go." Lightning looked at Weave with contempt, muttering her dislike for the man under her breath. "I won't leave my team behind. Not with the likes of you freaks." Weave did nothing against the insult.

"Don't worry about us, boss. We'll be alright." Knight chimed in, trying to break the building tension between Lightning and Weave. "Rook, Bishop, and I will head back to the ship. I'll keep yer seat warm." she nodded to the group, then looked at Weave as he pointed in the right direction.

"Hit 'em good for us, kay boss?" Bishop shouted out before her and the others vanished into the darkened ravine.

"Well? What else do you want from me?" Lightning crossed her arms before her chest. "You will fight a Behemoth in one-on-one combat. When he is satisfied, your test will be over." The man reached for a decent sized stick in his pouch. The tip was covered in a black, sticky substance. His gloves glowed for a moment, and the torch lit up in bright jade. He handed the torch to her.

"Take it. You'll need it."

Lightning took it, gauging how much space around her would be illuminated with the torch.

"Since humans moved in, Behemoth population has begun to steadily decrease." Lightning was well aware, being called on to deal with the deadly pests many times before, even during her military career on Cocoon.

"So, to counteract your invasion, Titan has bred new Behemoths. Stronger, faster, and intelligent beyond mere animal instinct. The sire of the new breed is capable of speech, albeit it is childish and incapable of constructing complex sentences."

_Talking Behemoths...Just my luck._

"Alright then." Lightning said after Weave did not add anything else. He pointed to the upper path once more, motioning her to take it. "Remember," she started, raising her gunblade to meet Weave, "I'll kill you if any of my teammates are hurt when I return." Weave did not respond, and watched Lightning leave.

Lightning reached the cave relatively quick. She hadn't noticed it prior, but only now did she gaze up into the sky to see the sun making its routinely journey to the ground. Night would be upon her in a few hours, she judged.

Standing before the cave, she soon realized how vital the torch in her hands would be. The mouth of the cavern was as wide as it was tall, easily able to have multiple adult-sized Behemoths entering and exiting at once. The interior was dark, the sun's rays unable to pierce the black curtain. Outside the cave, everything was quiet, but with enough effort Lightning was able to hear the faint sounds of something dragging across rock deep within the central complex.

_Now or never, Lightning. Let's get this over with._

Stepping inside the damp, musky cave, the emerald fire from the torch casted eerie glows on the walls and floor. The air was thick and smelled a horrifying mix of rotting carcasses and fecal matter. Their was a constant pitter-patter of water somewhere, but Lightning couldn't find the source. Blood from who-knows-what was splattered on the walls. Some were rudimentary pictures of large beasts, probably the Behemoths, Lightning assumed, hunting smaller animals. Others, were of strange unrecognizable markings, probably used to mark a certain Behemoth's territory or sleeping area. Mats of grass were strewn across the slick cave floor.

Then she heard them.

Rounding corner after corner, Lightning could hear the growls and animalistic noises from deeper inside the cave. Each step from her only caused the beasts to louden what strange words they were communicating with each other. The roars echoed and bounced off the cave walls, almost making Lightning jump out of her skin. It sounded like she was surrounded by the creatures.

A single Behemoth's growl sounded distinct amongst the others. It was louder, more ferocious, and seemed to speak frequently after the other Behemoth's voices died down. The sire of the pack, Lightning concluded, was the one speaking to its lesser kin. A slight chuckle escaped from Lightning, the noises the two or more creatures making sounding like an actual conversation. She turned the next corner in the cave, and all the voices quieted.

Then she saw them.

Walking into a huge cave chamber, dimly lit by a hole in the ceiling for sunlight, Lightning came across the Behemoths making such a ruckus. The beasts were everywhere. Of varying sizes and flesh color, they stayed in small groups nestled in different areas of the cave, usually against the walls. The torch she was holding helped, casting a greenish glow onto the faces of the Behemoths. All of their eyes were centered on her, watching the woman's every movement. Lightning could see in one corner there were rows of gorgonopsid carcasses along with the larger Megistotherian corpses waiting to be eaten. Makeshift beds of grass, twigs, and other things were scattered across the cave floor.

Lightning's blue eyes turned to the center of the chamber, where two King Behemoth's circled a much larger Behemoth. The torch casted a strange glow on the Behemoth's grayish flesh. With a mighty roar that rung throughout the cave, all the creatures silenced. The King Behemoths backed off.

_None of them are attacking me...or even approaching me. They know I was supposed to come..._

The strawberry blonde kept her fingers on the hilt of her gunblade, discreetly loading a few manadrives into the ammo clip. With preparations made in case of an emergency, Lightning approached the large Behemoth.

The sire of the pack was larger than all the others, towering above his brethren even when on all fours. Lightning guess that the great Behemoth would be twice Snow's height when on two legs. It's grayish black flesh was covered in rippling muscle. It's spiked tail waved warily in the air, the scaled armor leading up its spine to larger and sharper spikes. Just like all the others Lightning had witnessed before, this Behemoth had large armored claws, curved menacingly. It's open maw revealed lines of grimy yellow teeth, probably covered in the gore of its last meal, she assumed. The red scarves fluttered behind the creature with each step it took.

At the crown of its head were a series of large spikes leading up from his spine. Lightning wasn't able to spot where the Behemoth would be able to pull the spiked appendage out and wield as a weapon like the others of its kind. It's red eyes locked on Lightning, grunting and sniffing at the new scent. She couldn't see the creatures underbelly, where the carved name 'Behemoth' resided similarly to the King Behemoths she had fought previously.

The beast roared a second time, showing its dominance over the others of its pack. It's fellow Behemoths did not cower, but they remained near the walls of the cave where the others stayed.

_Well, he certainly looks gruesome..._

Exhaling some of the doubts she had, and ridding herself of the slightly nervous feeling creeping up on her, Lightning strode closer to the creature, her gunblade in one hand while the torch stayed in the other. She stopped a foot in front of the Behemoth. She could feel its hot breath with each breath it took. A snarl took form on its lips, revealing sharp teeth.

"Beast." the creature before her grunted, its speech sounding crude and unnatural for a monster of his kind. Lightning nodded hesitantly, waiting for the Behemoth's next move. It did nothing but stare at her. A minute passed, and a drop of sweat trickled down her brow.

"Beast." he choked out once more, a growl reverberating deep inside the creatures stomach. Lightning raised an inquiring eyebrow.

"Beast!" it roared, a third time. "Name is Beast!" Lightning's eyes widened, realizing what the creature was asking of her.

_Beast, that's what it's calling itself?_

Lightning slowly shook her head. "My name is Lightning." she spoke calmly, not wanting to anger the massive Behemoth.

"Beast know. Beast know many things. You well known here, among Behemoth." he said, beginning to circle Lightning, growling whenever she motioned to face him again. He was inspecting her, sizing her up.

"Your claw is dangerous here. Many Behemoth killed by sharp claw you have."

_He must be referring to my gunblade. _Lightning thought to herself, eyes shifting to the weapon in her hand.

"Other Behemoth know your mane. Your mane is the sky when Great Shadow leave, killed by Sun. Your name be Rose-Claw."

"Uh..." she began, confused. _I guess that's my name because my gunblade and my hair...Right..._

"Other Behemoth no like fleshy meat bags like you. Many-Claw speak to us about Father-Claw, but other Behemoth no find use for words Many-Claw spoke to us." Beast stopped circled Lightning, back at his original position. He sniffed her, the action blowing her hair wildly. She cringed in shock and disgust, an audible 'Ugh!' in the cavern as she fixed herself.

"Beast find use for meat bags. Behemoth becoming better hunter each day, but fight with meat bags. Beast want territory meat bags take from us. Willing to compromise."

A tiny smile played on Lightning's lips, still finding the idea of talking to a Behemoth a little ridiculous. She never would have thought a Behemoth of all creatures would be bargaining with her.

"What are your terms?" she asked, eyeing Beast cautiously. She was supposed to get their help in war, but this compromise could last far beyond it.

"We no like meat bags. Meat bags no like Behemoth. Meat bags no kill Behemoth anymore, Behemoth no kill meat bags." Lightning nodded along, deciphering his speech into her own more civilized tone.

"So we just stay out of each others way?" she asked, finding negotiation to be going fairly well. "Rose-Claw right. Behemoth ensure survival of Behemoth kind. Notice no female Behemoth in den?" Beast asked, a mix of grunts and snorts in between. Lightning looked around, seeing that all the monsters in the den were only male Behemoths. In fact, she had never seen or heard of a female Behemoth before.

"Meat bags never see female and children Behemoth. Only best male of pack able to mate to make Behemoth strong. No kill us and we no kill meat bags. But Rose-Claw need to prove if meat bags worth dealing with." Beast challenged, distancing himself from Lightning.

_So this is how it's going to be. Weave did tell me I would be fighting this guy..._

"Yeah...If I beat you in combat then we compromise." she said. Beast snorted in response. A deep growling began to rise from within him, telling Lightning the fight was about to begin. She raised her gunblade into a balanced stance, aware of Beast's thick hide. Bullets wouldn't be able to penetrate deep enough to do major harm. She activated the manadrives in her gunblade. Lightning tensed and relaxed her muscles, trusting her body to bring her to victory.

With a mighty leap, Beast charged straight towards Lightning, the killing intent flaring in his red eyes. Her experiences fighting Behemoths before, being a human and a l'Cie, prepared her for this fight. She exhaled calmly, and jumped above Beast right before the two collided. Swinging her blade in a wide downwards arc while in the air, the weapon accurately hits the mad Behemoth, slicing where his shoulder met his neck.

Beast growled in pain, but was not stopped so easily. Skidding to a stop as the soldier girl jumped over him, Beast turns his head and bites down on her cape, trapping it between his teeth, leaving the girl to dangle in the air. As Beast stands up onto two legs Lightning is slammed against his back, her cape caught in his mouth. Deciding that her life was worth more than a nice cape, Lightning pulls downward, ripping her cape off of her. In one fluid motion, she slides down Beast's back, her blade wedged inside the Behemoth's thick flesh, creating a long, deep gash.

Beast's tail slams into her though, Lightning not suspecting the abrupt attack. Landing onto the ground with a loud thud, she rolls her bruising body away from the Behemoth. The adrenaline pumping through her skin reminds her she's still in this fight and still alive. The thrill of battle a delicious sensation for Lightning. Avoiding a kick from one of Beast's giant clawed feet, Lightning thrusts her sword in his leg, driving the blade to the hilt. He roars in pain this time, but motions to kick her with his free foot. Using the imbedded sword as a handle, Lightning spins around the wounded leg, dodging the kick. With a great push the blade is released from Beast's leg, rolling with Lightning away from Beast.

Through the glow of the torch, Lightning could see the blood seeping from the multiple cuts she landed on the monster. Her own body was battered and bruised, but her conditioned body kept her in decent shape. She inspected her gunblade. It was slick with the blood and gore of Beast.

The ground shook with each step as Beast thundered over to Lightning. A clawed hand raked down her shoulder, spilling blood. Ignoring the pain, she leapt onto the great creature's beefy arm. Quickly, Lightning ran up the length of his arm, her blade connecting with Beast's neck once more. He roared in agony, but captured Lightning in between his iron grip before she could escape. "Rose-Claw...Strong." he panted in between grunts.

Despite all her best efforts, she just couldn't overpower the Behemoth crushing her. With a final heaving grunt, Beast threw Lightning against the cave wall. Soaring through the air towards the rocky wall, she curled up into a ball and braced for impact. A loud CRACK echoed throughout the cave as Lightning impacted with the cave wall. She could feel her ribs snapping like twigs. For a slight moment, stars clouded her view.

"Rose-Claw good fight. Many-Claw not want to fight. Beast and Behemoth satisfied. Go."

Lightning groaned in pain, clutching her stomach. She'd need all the Potion's Bishop had on her to heal herself before another attack. Her vision faded in and out, and sounds droned in her ears, but she could hear Beast's faint grunts and growls telling her the test was finished. She could see the faint outline of the Behemoth's body leaving the cave chamber.

_Ugh...Dammit. Time to get out of here, then._

Lightning was surprised she could manage to stand up. On two wobbly feet, she leaned all her weight on the cave wall.

It was a long day.

* * *

"Bah, this will never do."

Blaze complained, angry and annoyed with his current predicament. Lost in the big city of New Bodhum, and with a blatant inability to find a suitable hiding place for rest and shelter became obvious. The fiery haired man face palmed, ashamed that he was forced to rely upon these humans, disgusting cretins that they were, to aid him in this situation. He felt embarrassed that he had to lower himself to _their _level. He was running now, fully aware that PSICOM would be on his trail sooner or later. He was the pillar to Lucas' entire operation after all. The massive skyscrapers that reached for the heavens; or Cocoon, Blaze thought, were great for hiding his identity from the air. All he had to do was blend in with the crowds, which had, however, presented its own set of problems to tackle.

Blaze had to rely upon his own personal skills to escape his pursuers. The sprawling concrete jungle of New Bodhum was large, bustling with hundreds of thousands of different faces, all in a hurry to get where they needed to go. Blaze was curious as to what objective was so important that it required these people, clothed in suits and ties or dresses, to rush to their destination. Regardless of that, Blaze knew he could use this to his advantage, as it was best to remain blended into the humans' society to properly foil Lucas' vile schemes. However, Blaze still had to rely upon his new, and entirely unwanted, traveling companion to guide him along a safer route.

Despite the nice architecture, the high-rise buildings, plazas, and gathering centers, the two were in the seedier parts of of the city. Blaze's traveling guide had earlier explained to him that the fal'Cie constructed this city, like the others. The layout and design were beautiful, he described, all part of the pact the humans had formed with the fal'Cie. In exchange for such blessings and the survival of the human race, the fal'Cie demanded sacrifices to be chosen to undertake the transformation into a l'Cie, cast out into the wilds of Gran Pulse to take complete a various Focus. Only the Cultists regarded this as something positive.

Graffiti art was evident on some of the side walls and alleyways or sidewalks, but otherwise each street the pair walked onto was decent. The people they passed by were passive, preferring to continue on and ignore the two's presence. Blaze didn't mind though, his mind was made up. As long as he was able to prevent Lucas Lynch from achieving his goals, and the Maker was confronted, Blaze was content. Passing through the oceans of people, or at least trying to wade their way through, Blaze raised a hand to scratch the back of his neck, hesitating slightly when he forget his once knee-length red hair was cut to end at his shoulders. After running from Lightning, Serah, and Snow from their residence, Blaze had picked up a sharp shard of glass, using it to cut his messy hair. A little sad that the thick mane was reduced to a pile on the dirty streets, Blaze reasoned that his hair would grow back one day.

As the two finally made their way across one of the central streets of New Bodhum's District 2, Blaze caught his eye upon a statue of an obsidian giant. Titan, it had read on the plaque, was one of Pulse's many fal'Cie which assisted in the rapid construction of the city.

_I wonder how they manage to work without an Orphan Shard..._

His traveling companion pulled him away after that thought, claiming that the building Blaze stopped to look at was a Church of fal'Cie, which only Cultists and the insane (Though most Cultists were insane already) held allegiance to. Taking a final peak inside, Blaze could only see the darkness and a few overturned tables. Probably away for the evening, Blaze concluded, noting that the sun had began its descent.

Along the sidewalk, Blaze and his companion continued along. As they passed through a shop, the glass door slid open so the two men behind it could exit. Passing by the dark skinned, probably tanned though, man with fiery hair, the muscled man lugged a machine gun over his back. The smaller of the two, a younger kid with blonde hair, goggles, and headphones, holstered a pistol to a pouch around his waist, but was eyeing a knife he had gotten as well in his hand. Blaze was told that while the Guardian Corps here did not allow weapons of such kind inside the city, it was common for mercenaries to travel through, restocking on supplies or recruiting. The added revenue was always a plus as well.

Blaze grabbed the knife from the tinier one, pushing him down to the ground. The taller, dark skinned man gasped in shock for a slight moment, before angrily pushing Blaze back, shouting at him. Blaze ignored him, smacking the man's arms away. He thrust the blade deep in the dark skinned man's stomach, driving the metal to the hilt. He screamed in anguish, the blonde on the ground crying out to plead with Blaze. His ears picked up on the name of Gadot and Maqui, but their was no memory of them that Blaze knew of. The taller one, Gadot, had begun to slump down, hands resting on the knife Blaze stuck in him. With a kick, Blaze released Gadot from the knife, letting his body impact with the concrete wall behind him. Blaze leapt forward, quick now with his slice, and embedded the blade in the neck of the dark skinned man. Crimson gushed everywhere, covering Blaze's hands and soiling Gadot's clothing. The younger blonde finally grew some balls and pushed Blaze away, adamant on comforting his dying friend. Blaze only growled and shook his head, rushing in forward to face down the kid.

He saw the fear and tears in the blonde's eyes. Blaze drank in the visage of his shocked and pained expression when his head was violently grabbed and smashed against the concrete, leaving teeth and blood caked on the wall. Blaze grinned maniacally at his work, ripping the blade out of Gadot's throat, turning so he could—

"Hey, buddy! Get yer ass out of the way!" said an unknown voice. Blaze shuddered, his mind snapping back to reality. Subconsciously his legs followed the path his traveling companion was making, but he had not noticed when he found himself in the middle of the street, cars bearing down on him from both sides. Blaze shook his head, taking a deep breath in a vain attempt to calm his madly beating heart. Turning to look behind him, past the lines of cars, Blaze saw the faint outline of the dark skinned man and the younger blonde kid walking and talking happily down the sidewalk. They were alive. Blaze eyed his palms, watching the bone and tendons move as he wiggled each finger.

A car honked. "Come on, asshole! Get your ass out of the damn street or I'll run you over!" said the unknown voice from before, coming from one of the cars. Blaze ran across the street earnestly, muttering curses to himself along the way.

_What the fuck was that? A dream! A vision? It seemed so real...the blood..._

"_I...I don't know, Edgar. Whatever the hell just happened freaked me out too. You were mindlessly killing them, not that I would really care for these mortals, but it was so out of the blue."_

Blaze's Eidolon, Lucy, responded reassuringly.

"_It wasn't real...but...I could have sworn I could have...I mean, I can tell when you're having a dream. This was nothing normal. Something bad is happening, Blaze."_

Swallowing a strange knot in his throat cautiously, Blaze reunited with his traveling guide.

The two had met about a day after Blaze ran from Snow and Serah's house, remaining with the red haired man every since. Blaze was unamused. Turning to look at him as they walked, Blaze studied the boy's softer facial features than himself, assuming that the effects of puberty had only now began to unleash itself upon the boy. Roughly seventeen, he was still a teenager. Blaze could see that the boy was eager to become an adult. Blaze felt strangely older beyond his years, despise being a meager twenty-eight. He shook the feeling off.

Blaze's eyes, still amazed they had healed, shifted to his companion's attire. The outfit was strange, Blaze would admit, but without any real experience regarding clothing due to his imprisonment, and not one to care much anyway, Blaze figured it was normal dress for those of Pulse after the Planetfall. A short-sleeved, orange and yellow jacket was slung over the kid's shoulder. He had a green bandana wrapped around his wrist, along with a few other colored circlets. The kid had a black sleeved shirt on, which Blaze thought was good for the warm weather he was experiencing, despite not getting cold himself. Around his waist was a belt, where a pair of black, white-palmed gloves hung loosely by a chain. He wore dark tan shorts with a storage pack strapped over his right leg. Finally, light green shoes finished the ensemble off.

The shoes were tapping lightly on the road in slight annoyance.

"Well?" the kid asked, the wind blowing a few strands of his silvery hair into his field of vision. "It doesn't even seem like you're listening to me, man." Blaze shrugged and scanned his surroundings. He noted that a the streets were not filled to bursting with people now as they were about ten minutes ago. Down the sidewalk and across the street, Blaze spotted an alleyway that looked promising.

"Well...uhh..." Blaze began, making a last minute checklist of what he had to keep him alive during the next few days...or weeks. Remembering the kid's name, Blaze spoke up.

"I think that alleyway over there," he pointed to it, nearly striking a random passerby when Blaze abruptly thrusted his hand into the air. "across the street would be a good place to take shelter for the night, Hope."

The silver-haired teen nodded, painting a path through the slowly thinning crowd so he and Blaze could make it through, limps hopefully intact. It took some effort, and all of Blaze's willpower to not strangle or incinerate a few people. Across the street, the two got to the alleyway. Striding in, Blaze took a more in depth look at his surroundings, his sudden interest in analyzing the most mundane of things blossoming since he made it to New Bodhum.

The alleyway was a dead end, the single pathway narrow, but good enough to house two people. A few strips of well worn metal were hastily welded onto the top, shielding those below from the elements. A dumpster and a three trashcans lay nearby, void of any sustenance but a few scraps of tainted, fly-ridden meat. The brick walls were gray, cracked, and dirty, the dead end face bearing the mark of graffiti. With an exhausted sigh, Hope dropped his jacket and a bag he was carrying onto the ground. Grabbing one of the trashcans and flipping it over, Hope took a seat, his eyes narrowing on Blaze.

_I guess someone may have been here before..._

Turning back to meet Hope, Blaze saw him shiver slightly. He didn't pay no heed to it, aware of the warm weather.

Imitating Hope, Blaze grabbed one of the trashcans, flipped it over and rested on top of the metal canister. The two sat together looking outwards, gazing upon the slowly emptying street. The sun was getting lower now, signaling nightfall was soon to come. Blaze was surprised how quickly the humans had abandoned the streets they journeyed upon for the safety and warmth of their respective houses. Judging by the crap painted on the sides of buildings, he concluded that there probably was a large amount of crime in the area.

_I guess the fal'Cie didn't give them everything. Now it seems that the survivors that escaped from Cocoon have to work for their survival on Pulse, despite the helping hand the fal'Cie had lent._

"_Ensuring the prolonged existence of the human race is not their main goal, Edgar."_ Lucy added, drawing his attention to a small rat scurrying out from under the trashcan Blaze was sitting on. He lifted the trashcan up slightly, letting the vermin crawl free, probably in search for its next meal. Abruptly, Blaze slammed the trashcan back down upon the rat, catching its tail under the rim. He chuckled, watching the little creature try its best to slip out. Hope raised an eyebrow at Blaze's activities, but did not stop him.

There was a silence between the two, a period which Blaze had thoroughly enjoyed. By now only a few denizens of the city were about, people making last minute stops for useless things. A homeless man waved at the two, before Hope ushered him out of their mock shelter. Crashing back down onto the trashcan, an exhausted sigh escaped Hope's lips.

"I can't stand this...being homeless. It makes me feel all...dirty." the silver-haired teen complained, following up with a groan after Blaze smirked at him.

"I'm sure it's not so bad. We have these trashcans...and some food." he replied, his foot nudging the struggling rat.

"Remind me why we couldn't have gotten a hotel room?" Hope whined, the palms of his tiny hands digging into his knees.

"_Shit, this kid sure can complain. 'Can we have a warm fire to sleep by, tonight? Can you kill those scary monsters for me, Lucy? Can you tuck me in?' Damn wimps."_

_Oh calm down, Lucy. You know that those were from the past l'Cie that had you as an Eidolon. I don't complain and beg you to help me, I get my shit done on my own._

"_Well this is different, Edgar. We can only Gestalt for five minutes! It may be long compared to other Eidolon's, but when only five minutes accelerates your brand's growth by a full year, then you can only use me as a last resort! Add another minute to the first five and you use another three months!"_

Blaze nodded knowingly.

"We can't stay in those places you call hotels because I know Lucas has spies everywhere! I am his prized subject, and he won't give me up so easily!" he answered to Hope, receiving another groan.

Hope muttered a 'fine' under his breath and leaned over to grab the black bag he took with him. Moving the shoulder strap out of the way he unzipped it and began to rummage for the object he was looking for.

"So," Hope began, still excavating through his backpack. "If you insist upon sleeping in a _cold, dank, _and _smelly_ alleyway, instead of a nice hotel because of your _paranoia_, then you can at least do me kindness of answering what questions I do have. I did agree to help you stay undercover, so you owe me."

Blaze sighed and nodded. He did need the kid to guide him around the city, and probably Gran Pulse. Not to mention that Hope was intrigued with Blaze's abnormalities to begin with.

"_Answer his questions short and to the point. We can't have a liability here, Edgar. If this pitiful excuse for a human being opens his mouth about us then we're royally screwed."_

"Alright then, kid. Ask away." he responded. With a quiet 'Aha!' Hope found what he was looking for. Pulling out a notebook and pen, he flipped a few pages in. He started with a simple question.

"Who are you? I mean, you don't appear to be like any of the other Cocoon survivors. Are you a Cultist?" Blaze quirked an eyebrow at Hope's accusation.

"I told you already. My name is Blaze. I am from Cocoon." he answered, his eyes rising to gaze upon the mighty sphere captured by the crystal stalk. Hope shook his head no. "We are all from Cocoon. Don't you remember anything? And don't tell me about working as a garbageman, after some thought into it your story seemed to be way too flawed."

Blaze silently cursed to himself. _Well...secret's out._

"Well it is in bits and pieces by now, but most of my memory is gone. All I have got is a year in a prison cell."

_"Dammit, Edgar! I told you not to do this. Now he is going to dig deeper!"_

"A prison cell?" Hope squeaked out, eyes widening. Blaze could see his body tremble slightly. Swallowing his doubts, Hope resumed.

"Why were you in there? I noticed your little show earlier where you seared a mark onto Lightning's skin." he was glaring at Blaze now. "So I figured that you had some experience as a l'Cie. Unless you're a Cultist. Or something worse."

Blaze frowned for a moment. He was still on the fence about telling Hope everything. A few thoughts ran by, and he decided that in order to reach his goal, he would have to let someone know the truth.

"I am a l'Cie. But...something more than that. I'm a Project, manufactured to be an improved version than what you and your other little buddies used to be. I am stronger, faster, and able to withstand far greater levels of pain. But this all came at a price. They wanted something that could be controlled. Despite being miles away from that facility where they worked on me, I am forever tainted with their essence."

Hope nodded along, beginning to scribble down a series of notes in the notebook. Blaze looked at it with irritation. Hope looked back up at Blaze, finished for the moment. "They?" he asked.

The redhead was silent. He noticed Hope shiver again, despite how warm Blaze was. A dog barked.

"The people keeping me in the prison cell. Dr. Kacey, Maria, and Lucas Lynch." Blaze began, pausing to grind his teeth when Hope resumed his note taking.

"To keep me under control, they tempted me with power and freedom. Two traits that are fairly unappealing to me now, seeing as I already have more power than what they can contain, and I knew not where I would go if I gained freedom. Eventually they turned to persuading me with my old memories and my parents. I learned about those two...but it wasn't enough to make it worth while."

Blaze clenched his fist, seething with anger. A dark red aura creeped around him, flickering for but a second before extinguishing itself. Hope did not notice.

"They knew my weakness. Since birth I have been fighting against the defects and chronic illnesses that harass me. Tetrogenesis, they call it. Incurable flaws that occur at birth. I was supposed to die inside the womb, but Dr. Kacey kept me stable. I recently learned that my life has been watched over by PSICOM since birth, and they would use all available resources to save me. At thirteen, I received my first injection." he sighed, pausing for a brief moment of silence.

"It's all just a blur after that. I woke up fifteen years later in the prison cell, facing daily injections and electrocutions to combat my worsening condition. My body responded well enough to the vaccination. It couldn't cure me, but it slowed down the process immensely. Eventually, I grew an addiction to it." Blaze said, grinning slightly.

"It drove me mad...Then my body fought back. It waged a bloody civil war upon itself, rebelling against my brain, pumped with the strange chemicals from the needles."

He looked at the setting sun cresting over the horizon now. It was going to be dark soon.

"As the first Project, I am the most unstable. Every time I draw power from my brands they progress further. It may seem far away, but the nine remaining years I have left will go by awfully quick."

Hope noted Blaze's circle brand over his eye, the arcing lines vanishing into his hair. The Cie'th eye had opened, as well as the one upon the vine brand wrapped around his arm. Blaze stared intently at the bone and tendons moving beneath the skin of his hand as he flexed his fingers. "Without those needles us Projects will lose our minds."

Blaze looked down upon the notebook, a page already filled with notes. His lips twisted into a snarl. "You better not be writing anything bad about me in that book, kid." he began, abruptly getting to his feet.

"I won't become another statistic or another chart for the men in white coats to look at it! I never wanted to be alive in this body, so I am going to bring this whole world crashing down if anyone so much as talks to me as if they own me. Your Maker cursed me with this wretched life and bound me to this Focus, and I am going to enact my revenge on him. **Count on it.**"

Hope nodded slowly, quickly writing a few key words before setting the notebook aside for a few minutes. Blaze's eyes returned to his palms, his veins full of fresh blood...

_No, dammit! Look away!_

Grabbing his knife, Blaze violently drove it straight through his palm, reveling in the joyous sounds from the cracking bones, the blood gushing onto the dirty ground. Gripping the handle tightly, he pulled the blade backwards, then up and down in a sawing motion, severing the veins and arteries at his wrist along the way. Blaze marveled at how delicious his blood looked, his mouth beginning to foam.

"Tell me more about the Projects, Blaze." Hope asked.

Twitching, Blaze snapped back to reality. He checked his palms. Slightly dirty from the lack of a wash. No signs of any cuts. Blaze gulped nervously.

"_Strange..."_

"There are six of us. Project Blaze, Geist, Terra, Myst, Naga, and Genesis. I am the oldest...at twenty-eight I believe. Lucas Lynch plans on using us to lead the PSICOM army in Operation: Spearhead. Lucas personally explained it to me that the six of us would rid the world of the Pulsian menace in hopes of finding the Maker."

Hope closed the notebook, placing it back in the bag, satisfied. Blaze's tense muscles finally eased. "Anything else? I'm a little tired of this interview."

Hope shook his head no. "Nah, that's good for now. I suppose we should set up the area for sleeping now...we might need some sort of fire."

Hope trailed on, looking at Blaze from the corner of his eye. "I am all the fire you will need, kid. You cold?" he smirked, not looking for an answer. He flicked Hope's forehead, the teenager recoiling back with a shriek of pain. "Ow!"

Hope took a hand to his forehead, rubbing the burnt skin and the soon-to-rise-welt. "Not funny, man. I'm helping you hide from those PSICOM goons." the kid stood up and began looking for his bedroll. Blaze preferred to sleep against the cold brick wall.

The sky was a sparkling sea of obsidian. Cocoon, in all its broken glory still remained perched on its translucent crystal pillar. The shell was dark, albeit for a few glints of gold, reminding Blaze about the Orphan Shards. The fal'Cie was not slain by Ragnarok after all, Blaze was told.

The occasional breeze was nice and cool for Blaze. Hope shivered, reaching for his jacket. "So," Blaze spoke up, surprising even himself that he wanted to talk.

"Why are you helping me? I was born to kill you and thousands of other innocent lives."

Hope sighed, peering into the raven night. The stars were out in all their majesty.

"Well ever since what occurred in Paddra, Light has been stressing over everything lately. I guess I just wanted to help her out, I guess. I knew you were of some importance when you ran from Snow and Serah's house, blood streaming down your chest and Lightning ready to track you down...I know war is coming to Pulse, my father is already informing the troops. I figured you might be a glimmer of hope."

Blaze half nodded, not really buying all of Hope's answer. He raised his inner temperature slightly, making sure the heat radiating from his body was enough to keep Hope warm.

"This Lightning girl. You must like her, huh?" Blaze asked, noting a blush form on Hope's cheeks despite the growing darkness.

"Yeah...she's amazing. Light is smart, she is strong, beautiful...and even though most people don't see it, Light is the kindest person I know. She has been my mentor and a role model to me. Without her, I don't really know where I might be now after my mom died. I guess you can say that it's love."

Hope stuttered, feeling a knot form in his throat.

"But she doesn't love me back. I realize now that the feelings I had for her three years ago were childish and immature. Light may not feel for me as I do for her, but I would rather keep her as a friend than lose her forever. I'm sure she will find someone who makes her happy. And if she gets hurt, I'm there to comfort her, despite knowing she would never fully reveal her true emotions to me."

Blaze nodded, half listening. He understood the sentimental value from Hope's speech, but he didn't care much for the feelings the kid was ranting about.

"Yeah..." Blaze responded. "She's pretty hot."

Hope was silent for a moment, before a small grin appeared on his face. "Yeah."

An hour or so of silence floated on by. The sun had drifted out of sight awhile ago, being replaced by the crescent moon. Looking at it, Blaze rubbed his chest, remembering the self-inflicted cuts he applied a few days ago. Other than the occasional stray animal or the rare pass of a car, the city was quiet. It was time to rest, Blaze's weary eyes told him. Slowing closing his eyes to embrace sleep, Hope spoke up, eliciting a hushed groan from Blaze.

"Cornelius." the silver-haired teenager began, raising a hand to point at one particular star in the sky. "The Great Star Cornelius was a book I once read in grade school. As a kid I was really interested in the stars," he laughed "I had my dad even buy me a telescope once."

Blaze looked up, noticing the star he was pointing to was shining significantly brighter than those surrounding it. "He told me once that people used Cornelius to scribe maps on Pulse so one could always know where north was if Cornelius could be seen. But that was supposed to be hundreds of years ago, way before even Fang and Vanille's time. I suppose back then it wasn't as bright as we see it now, after what my dad told me."

Blaze quirked an eyebrow, slightly interested. "Really? What did he say?"

"Cornelius is a dying star, just like thousands of others out there in space. During the last stages of a stars existence, they burn their brightest and hottest, as if they're trying to defy their own deaths. And then..."

CLAP!

"They collapse in upon themselves when the star can't possibly hold on any longer. It shrinks, and shrinks until it becomes a single concentrated singularity that is impossible to see. It happens so strikingly fast though, and people instead notice the star erupting into a massive explosion known as a supernova. All the gases and plasma and pent up energy is released in a violent cataclysm that leaves nothing behind. The explosion extends light years past its original point, blasting other stars or planets..."

Hope trailed on, remembering that Blaze didn't have such a vast collection of knowledge on the subject like he possessed.

"It's really quite beautiful when you're far away. I always wondered what it would be like to watch one happen in a quickened sequence, since it takes centuries or even more for the whole process to happen."

_Hmm...that's some pretty deep stuff. I'll remember that._

A few more minutes of comfortable solitude passed by. Some lights were flickering down the street somewhere out of his point of view. Only the faint sounds of them two breathing could be heard.

"What do we do from here? I could take you to my dad."

"Eh, I don't think that will be necessary. Can't you call him anyway?"

"Well, yeah, on a secure line, but I think talking in pers—"

"Since you want to help me, the first thing you can do is fill me in on the fal'Cie, and the Maker. The more I know the better, right?" Blaze interrupted, quickly cutting off Hope's statement.

"I might be able to discern something from them that will be key to winning the war."

Hope rolled over, looking at Blaze who remained leaning against the wall. "Why are you on our side, anyway?" Blaze shrugged.

"I don't care much for you humans, but I do not want Lucas to get what he wants." Hope abruptly seized his bag, reaching into it for something.

_Man...my body aches. I feel like I'm at my breaking point, just teetering on the edge before I descend into the pit of insanity. The addiction is killing me...I need one of those needles. Badly. I can only imagine what the other Projects might be feeling right now...I feel like crushing this brick wall, grinding it to dust and fine powder. Maybe I should kill someone._

"Aha!" exclaimed Hope, withdrawing a cellphone from his bag. "I know just the place to bring you, Blaze. Taejin's Tower!"

He nodded along, eyeing Hope on his phone. "Who are you calling at this late hour?"

"An old friend of mine, he can get the two of us their real quick." Hope responded, shushing Blaze when the receiver picked up.

"Hey, Sazh, mind doing a friend and me a favor?

* * *

Oerba Yun Fang raised an eyebrow, judging the small man's intention when he said he was here to help. He was short, probably smaller than Vanille, but the thick black armor plates made his shoulders broader, and give his figure a slightly intimidating appearance. The man had come up to them granting his services from seemingly nowhere, since Vanille had brought Fang and her miles from any city. Residing in the middle of a mountain range between Oerba and New Bodhum, the two Projects camped out here to stay incognito, and out of sight from PSICOM forces. Fang was sure that PSICIOM would send people to track them down once she stopped responding from the communications receiver in the suit she had abandoned.

Unfortunately, her plan did not succeed, as this diminutive, armor clad man had discovered their little hideout.

_Help? He thinks I need help?_ Fang growled at the man, irritated by his statement. _Maybe he should look for some help getting taller instead of thinking I'm defenseless out here. _

A long pause formed between the two. Fang was silent in a defensive stance, her enhanced spear poised to strike. Pawn stared innocently at Fang, gun discarded to the ground and hands raised high in the air. By willingly setting his weapon down, Fang got the idea that someone had legitimately sent Pawn to help the two Projects...or spy on them...or kill them...

Fang was obviously distrustful, but she was confused, uninformed, and had Vanille to take care of to top things off. The redhead's memories were shattered, replaced with memories of a false life fully convincing Vanille that she was a different person. Vanille was doubtful at first, completely disregarding anything Fang originally had said, but overtime she became to trust the huntress. She trusted Fang enough to know that something was indeed wrong with her memories; how hazy everything was and how she couldn't recall specifics, but only vague topics from her mind.

Vanille realized her drastic change in personality. Dr. Kacey had explained to Vanille that the injection would cause hormone imbalances, especially once withdrawal seeped in. Still, Fang worked her hardest trying to establish a relationship between her and Vanille, despite the redheads original harsh and cold attitude. She was still uncooperative at times, but Fang knew it was all part of the process. A lot of issues still had to be resolved, leaving Fang hoping that the pair's trip to Oerba would help. For now, Fang's goal was to restore Vanille's broken memory, since either of them had yet been able to shed some light on their Focus.

Sizing up the shrimp of a man, Fang decided he wasn't an immediate threat. Her warrior and hunting intuition reassuring her that she and Vanille would be safe as long as Fang kept an eye on him and he doesn't stray too far.

"Help us, huh?" Fang began, lowering her spear, gauging Pawn's reaction. The man nodded. Cautious, but sincerity in his eyes.

"Yes I am. Lightning informed me of you two, and sent me here to brief you. I'm also to ensure your safety, help in any other various manner. If any of—"

"Ensure _our _safety?" she interrupted. "Sunshine thinks that Vanille and me, _Pulse natives_, would need your help? I can already tell you're not so wet behind your ears, yourself. Hmph." she sighed in aggravation, pacing back in forth. "She couldn't even do us the courtesy of being here." she said with another frustrated sigh.

Pawn shrugged his shoulders, his hands resting by his sides. He witnessed Vanille shuffling around in the grass out of the corner of his eye. He checked his watch for the time. "Well Lightning and the rest of C.H.E.S.S. are out on a mission. I was told to stay behind and care for you two. You're very important she says..."

Pawn's words trailed on when he noticed Fang was pacing again. The Pulsian looked deep in thought as she patrolled the same path of grass. She definitely wanted a rematch against Lightning. Fang sneered, remembering the nasty gash Lightning had cut across her stomach. Fang had gotten a few good cuts against Lightning's larger friend, but the pinkette was just too quick at the time to be struck. Fang stroked her chin, deciding that the next time she met the strawberry blonde, the two would duke it out once more to see who was top dog. Fang grinned.

_Next time I see her, I'll take her down. _

Fang marveled at the imaginary sight of Lightning's look of defeat on her face when she beats her.

Fang turned, striding over to a nearby boulder to lean against. From her peripheral vision, she spotted Vanille sitting on the mountain's edge, legs dangling over. Her eyes drank in the sight of the changing world of Pulse. The humans and fal'Cie brought the inevitable grip of industry to the land. Now Cocoon survivors could find a relatively safe living within Republic boundaries. Paddra was obviously destroyed, and Haerri belonged to the Cultists and Bandits.

"Well I deeply apologize for Lightning's absence. As I said she—"

"She's busy on some important mission, blah blah blah. Just save it, I'll deal without Sunshine for now." she said with a smirk. Pawn could sense a hint of anger on her tongue.

He followed her lead from behind, taking a seat on a log across from Fang's boulder. The raven-haired woman nodded to the little soldier, motioning to continue with what he came here for.

"Well first of all, I am sure you have plenty of questions." he began, taking another look at his watch. "Hell yeah I do! How did Vanille and I decrystallize without fal'Cie will? We woke up in a prison cell."

Pawn shrugged his shoulders and remained silent. "I don't know how that came about, actually. PSICOM could have discovered a method to artificially awaken you from crystal slumber, unless Orphan is still alive."

Fang grabbed her spear and abruptly thrusted it towards Pawn, stopping mere inches before his neck, the magically enhanced blade eager for blood. "You damn well better believe Orphan is dead! Vanille, me, Light and the others killed that blasted machine! We sacrificed our lives to save your Cocoon! Orphan is dead, I know it to be true. I can't let what Vanille did for us be some lie, her sacrifice be just some hoax!"

_However it does explain our brands...Fuck._

As Fang ranted on, Vanille turned her head to look at Fang when she heard her name being called. She shook her head in annoyance, hating that Fang would still call her Vanille when her own memories convinced her of being named Myst. Time and time again she would tell the older woman, but Fang was adamant. She would never call Vanille anything other than the name Gran Pulse had given her. Vanille's eyes shifted to Pawn and widened, her head flashing back to the events at Paddra, where Pawn was quickly taken to the ground and rolled out of the fight.

"—Anyway, I think it would be best to stick around here. The other Projects might eventually find you, but Lightning doubts they would be out searching. The closest one is Project: Blaze, but he won't be looking for you." Pawn finished with a chuckle, shaking his head with a knowing expression. Fang raised an eyebrow.

"How do you know where Blaze is?" she asked, receiving a look from Pawn similar to a deer caught in a car's headlights.

"Ummmm...Lightning told me?" he replied, an 'oh shit' muttered under his breath. He coughed and fixed his posture, noticing that Fang didn't pay too much attention to his response.

"Now it's time I should inform you about what has been happening so far. Obviously you remember the events at Paddra." Pawn began to explain Operation: Spearhead, information about other Projects, Lucas Lynch, and other bits of helpful information that Lightning was willing to pass on. Fang followed along, adding in her own comments of disgust and anger where she deemed appropriate. Eventually she pieced everything together.

"So what you're telling me is Vanille and me are weapons designed to kill thousands of people and lead the PSICOM army in order to deliver Blaze to the Maker? Sounds fan-fucking-tastic." she said, sighing at how incredulous this whole situation was.

Fang flashed back to her prison mate, curious for his wellbeing after he leaped out of the drop pod rocketing towards Paddra. "So I have to stop Lucas Lynch and PSICOM from wiping out everyone on Pulse so he can't ride their souls through The Door on Ark?"

"You're right, but...Who's Ark? And what's this about a door?" Pawn inquired. "Old Pulsian Analect," Fang began. "Prophets spoke about various methods of reuniting with the Maker. They theorized that if many souls at once passed through The Door, which all souls travel through on their way to the Maker, The Door would be wide enough for us to go through. Ark is the only fal'Cie I know of that can fly high enough to reach the gate to the Void."

_Well it seems like I actually did learn something at school. _

"Interesting." Pawn responded. "Now that we know a more detailed plan of his attack our chances of defeating Lucas have doubled! This changes everything!"

Fang nodded and resumed her pacing. She still pondered the purpose of Projects other than Blaze if they weren't meant to meet the Maker. A gust of wind went by, Pawn noticing Fang's hair and green sash flapping violently as she paced through the gale. The sash was useful as an extra blanket or protection from the elements, but it was still from the crappy store Fang had stolen in from. Her wild locks of hair blew into her eyes haphazardly. While Pawn just stood their watching, he admitted to himself that the huntress was sexy in that just woken up kind of way. Even though she could easily beat the crap out of him. He smacked his head quickly, scolding himself of how easy it was for his thoughts to warp perversely. Lightning had informed him of Fang's closer than friends relationship with Vanille. He was snapped out of his thoughts when Fang turned to look down at him, his eyes removing themselves from Fang's ass. She glared evilly at him, seriously contemplating of killing the man.

_It's not like he would be missed, right? I could just tell Lightning that he fell...or was eaten._

"So, why don't you tell me what Sunshine is up to anyway? Why wasn't she able to grace us with her presence this fine afternoon?" Pawn paused for a moment, setting his headgear down and to the side of him. While trusting his leader's choices, he himself had some doubts if Fang could actually be trusted. She was a rogue Project, after all, Pawn reasoned. Research on Fang and Vanille proved fruitless since none of the history books or data banks had recorded information about these two l'Cie when they woke up on Cocoon three years ago.

He scratched the faint hint of stubble on his chin, concluding that if Fang was as untrustworthy as he thought, Lightning would have never sent him after the huntress.

"Lightning went off to find Titan in the Faultwarrens. The Cultists there have amassed in great numbers, worshipping him like a real God. She's there to ask for his help...She figured that if such a danger the size of what we're dealing with now was threatening us, the fal'Cie might be able to help us. The coming war is bound to do some major damage to the environment, and Titan's Focus is too keep a stable ecosystem." Pawn sighed solemnly. "Lucas is intent on wiping out the 'Pulsian Menace' once and for all."

Fang nodded along. "Light's off to Haerri, huh?" she said, clenching her fists till her knuckles turned white. _Damn machines! Helping us out now when five hundred years ago they stood idly by, just throwing l'Cie after damned l'Cie at Cocoon!_

She punched the boulder she was leaning against. _Those bloody bastards!_

Another fist crashed against the tough rock, the impact leaving cracks in the granite. Fang's body tensed, strange energy washing over her. Looking down, she could see her brand glowing beneath her shirt. It flashed brightly for but a moment, allowing Fang to see a filled black dot appear above the four o'clock spike. A second wave of energy flowed through her, enveloping her body in an iridescent azure. The aura deepened in color, and Fang noticed the cracks her fist caused in the rock began to spread like splintering ice.

_What the hell..._

The alien display of power took her by surprise, the cracking boulder beginning to rumble and shake. She rapidly shook her head, banishing the power back into the Orphan brand. Fang thought it to be strange, that even though she was cursed with these newfound powers only recently, she had gained enough control over them to not have the brand's magic flare up so intensely. The events at Paddra and the subsequent weeks allowed her to deftly control her powers. The rock stopped its shaking, standing still on the ground. The cracks were still deep and evident.

Fang twitched slightly, a bead of sweat of descending from her forehead when she couldn't stop her hands from trembling. Her legs felt wobbly, a hand reaching out to the boulder to balance herself. She couldn't stop herself from shaking. It felt as if her skin was crawling and itchy. Small abnormal bulges formed in her arms and legs. The itching sensation became unbearable, but her attempts at scratching herself were of no avail. It felt like hordes of insects were swarming her, biting her skin. The bulges began to pop up sporadically across her body, moving erratically beneath her skin.

Fang clutched her forearms, trying to prevent the bulging skin from popping and whatever contents lay inside from escaping. "Argh!" she shouted in a mix of anger and pain, her hands clawing at her arms and legs until streaks of blood dripped onto the grassy carpet.

And then the bulges popped.

Thousands of tiny maggots crawled out of the bursted pockets of flesh, puss and blood leaving the infected patches of skin. The insects bit and gnawed everywhere, tearing at any uncovered skin not swarmed with other maggots. The pain was extreme.

"Fang? Fang!" she heard a distant voice from somewhere ring in her ears. It snapped her back to reality.

Pawn was shaking her, slapping her face, doing whatever he could to break Fang's trance.

_Ugh..._She groaned, a hand covering her face. _I'm back on Pulse...Whew._

Fang smacked Pawn's hand away from her and got onto her feet, not noticing that she was lying on the ground after her little episode. She started to cough and wheeze vehemently, clutching her stomach, arms and legs. After the fit had finished, Fang examined herself. No strange bumps or bugs, but the crawling sensation still haunted her.

"Fang! You alright? You were having a seizure." he repeated, shaking her shoulder. The taller woman nodded slowly, getting her bearings back.

_What was that?_

"I-I'm fine...I think." she half replied, trying to reassure herself. Pawn nodded, and sat down, a look of confusion on his face. He kept his eyes on Fang.

_If that could happen to me, I can only wonder what could have happened to—Vanille!_

Fang turned, but the girl in question was nowhere to be seen. A gasp caught in her throat. She scanned the campsite, ignoring one of Pawn's inquiries. Quickly standing up, Fang rushed around the campsite, Pawn fast to follow behind. "What's going on?" he asked innocently, his question ignored by Fang again.

"Vanille? Vanille!" _Where could she be..._" Vanille!" she called out for her friend. Nearby birds scattered from their resting places on tree branches, flapping and caw'ing away, surprised by the sudden outburst of noise.

A rustle in the bushes caught Fang's eye. She grabbed her spear out of caution; who knows what could be hiding behind it? Approaching the bush with caution, Fang poked her spear through the brush and tangle, wary of one of Pulse's many ferocious predators that could be just inside...Or Vanille.

As fast as a bolt of lightning, Fang was on the ground, Vanille straddling her on top. "Give me it!" she screamed at her, thrashing her body around. Her hands reached for Fang's neck.

"Vanille! What are you dfghfing...!" Fang shouted in surprise, struggling to break free until Vanille's tiny fingers wrapped around her neck, pressing down with all her might. "Give me the needle, Naga! I know you have it!"

_What is she talking about! _Fang mentally screamed, taking in a huge gulp of air through her nose. Thankfully, Fang was easily able to overpower Vanille. She grabbed the redhead's wrists forcing them to release their hold on Fang's throat. "V-Vanille!" she coughed out.

"What the fuck are you doing?" was all Fang could ask before Vanille brought her hands around Fang's neck once more with renewed vigor. "The needle, Naga! Give me the vaccination!" Vanille demanded before Fang finally flipped her and Vanille over. With Fang on top, she had her palms focused on Vanille's arms, keeping them restrained.

Vanille devolved into a rabid animal; she growled, shouted, and bit Fang at every opportunity. The warrior had a difficult time containing the redhead's wild, bucking body.

"Calm down, Vanille! Everything is going to be okay!" Fang said soothingly. It certainly was not easy seeing her best friend trying to kill her over something so trivial. "No, no, no, no, no!"

Vanille howled desperately trying to escape from Fang's grasp. She barred her tiny white teeth at Fang and hissed at her. "You don't understand, Naga! I need that fucking god damn needle! Give it to _me!_" she commanded once more from beneath Fang. Vanille continued to resist the huntress' valiant attempts at calming her down. She constantly tried to worm her way out from under Fang's hold. The raven-haired woman kept her hands steady and strong, denying Vanille's freedom.

_Gah...What's going on with her! I don't understand her deal with these needles._

Fang tightened her grip, practically melding their two bodies together. With her head buried in Vanille's amber tresses, she whispered "Shh...Shh...I'm here, don't worry, love."

Vanille responded by kicking Fang in her chest.

Fang grunted and gritted her teeth through the pain. From under her Vanille began to glow a bright green. The emerald aura flickered intensely for a single moment, and Fang felt Vanille shove her away. Fang was thrown off to the side, receiving another kick to the gut as she landed.

"Oof!...Ugh, dammit." she voiced out in pained words, clutching her stomach. As much as her warrior instincts demanded it, Fang knew she couldn't strike back. She wouldn't hurt Vanille, even if she was the one hitting her. Fang got onto one knee, a look of anguish on her face. Vanille stood over her.

The two shared expressions, Fang pleading while Vanille remained emotionless.

_Gotta get back on my feet._

As Fang was about to do so, Vanille stopped her with a foot pressing down on her shoulder. Fang remained silent, but the look she had begged Vanille to end this pointless outbreak of rage. As if knowing the question, Vanille solemnly shook her head no.

A burst of wind whipped Vanille's hair around. The cap she took from the clothing store in New Bodhum was lost to the winds. Despite a change in clothing, and the obvious and dramatic personality change, Vanille's pigtails and bountiful collection of colorful beads were her only connection to her past life Fang had spoke of. As the breeze died down, the stray hairs framing Vanille's face gave her a pleasing look. Fang found it ironic that she would still find Vanille attractive even if she was trying to kill her.

"I'll ask you one last time, Naga, and I will be nice. Give me the vaccine. As a Project I know you have a needle. My suit is missing, and the addiction is killing me." she asked, her foot tapping on Fang's shoulder.

_That strange chemical I was injected with back on the training facility? If I only had one dose before I was sent out into the field, and Vanille only decrystallized a week before me, then how many needles did those bastards pump into her?_

Fang gulped, slightly nervous. "I-I'm sorry Vanille, bu—"

"My name is Myst, dammit." Vanille interrupted, kicking back Fang onto the dirt. "It's a simple request! Do I have to beat it out of you?" Fang shook her head warily.

"I wasn't given any needles to use after I left for Paddra." Vanille groaned and stomped on the ground in frustration. "Grr...I won't take no for an answer, the addiction is driving me insane!" Vanille glowed bright emerald again, her Orphan brand flashing brightly. Fang noticed a filled black dot form beneath the five o'clock spike. Fang quickly got to her feet. "Wait, Vanille. Calm down, let me help you, yeah?"

She reached out to hug the redhead. Vanille backed away, eyes trembling. "You don't understand how it feels! I...I keep getting these weird visions or daydreams or something! Each time I'm killing you or someone else, or myself. Each time..." Vanille looked at her clenching and unclenching palm. She swallowed nervously. Her voice was shaky.

"It felt so real. Then poof! I snap back to reality. I don't want to feel this way, Fang."

Tears began to fall from Vanille's eyes before being wrapped up in Fang's arms. Vanille was hesitant, and didn't return the gesture, but she didn't force Fang away. Fang breathed in Vanille's sweet, pleasant vanilla scent. Her arms encircled possessively around Vanille's waist. Her head was buried in Fang's chest, her tears staining Fang's black shirt. "Shh...I'm here, love. I won't ever let you go, Vanille."

She planted a chaste kiss on Vanille's forehead. Fang sighed.

_Strange violent tendencies, mood swings...I've been experiencing these weird daydreams too...but nothing that has brought me to physically harm someone yet. How bad is Vanille's condition?_

"Blaze told me after awhile of constant injections you build some resistance to the withdrawal symptoms when they finally bring you off the stuff." Vanille choked out between sobs. "I was only injected four times with the vaccine, but that was over a month ago!"

Fang sighed calmly, keeping Vanille in her arms but at shoulder distance. She flashed Vanille her best smile, trying to hide the fact that her heart was breaking from seeing Vanille cry. Tears hung like icicles from Vanille's eyelashes before splashing onto her snowy skin and flushed, rosy cheeks. Her auburn bangs attempted to hide her eyes, but were utterly brushed out of the way when Fang embraced Vanille once more.

"It's going to be alright, ya hear?" Fang said, gently patting the younger Pulsian's head, as she clutched tightly at the green sash over Fang's shoulder. "No more crying, Vanille. Everything is going to be fine, I'll make sure of it."

Fang couldn't help but feel some sense of déjà vu.

Leaning in to dot Vanille's face with light kisses, Fang flashed back to her dream before waking up in the prison cell. Vanille didn't respond to her kisses, but did not stop her. Kissing Vanille felt so natural, to Fang, that she nearly forgot that this wasn't the same Vanille. Nearly.

"_Whoa, I don't swing that way, sister." _Vanille's words echoed within Fang's mind.

With that, all the pain of Fang's previous nightmares unleashed themselves upon her once more. No, this wasn't the same Vanille as before. This wasn't the same Vanille who would crawl into bed with her every night in Oerba five-hundred years ago. This wasn't the same Vanille who she had shared all her best memories with.

Same face. Same voice. An utterly different person. Fang closed her eyes and formed a sad, fake smile on her lips as her hands returned to her sides.

_My broken heart can wait. I have to make sure Vanille lives to complete her Focus. Hopefully going to Oerba will help shed some light on things as well as restore her memory._

Fang shook her head, ridding herself of a knot forming in her throat. She turned to see Pawn, who hid behind the boulder throughout the entire ordeal. Fang nodded to Vanille and walked off to speak with Pawn. A shaky grin was on his face as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't want to ruin the moment."

Fang laughed silently. "No, no. Let's get back to business, yeah? You were telling me about Lightning's mission?" she asked, leaving her spear against the boulder. It had rolled away during her fight with Vanille. Pawn chuckled, striding over to Fang with a smug grin.

"Yes, well, she wanted me to check up on you while she spoke with Titan. I think you two are progressing nicely though, and won't require any further assistance from me. Without further adieu, I bid you two a good night." he said before turning away. Pawn tapped a button on his watch.

_Wait, what? _Fang thought to herself, catching his words.

"Wait, man. Whattya mean goodnight? The sun is still far from dusk yet." Pawn laughed.

"Like I said, good night, and sweet dreams." he added.

Her confusion went unanswered as Pawn began to walk away. Fang struggled to go after him, but legs felt unsteady again. She felt unnaturally tired and exhausted. Her eyes drooping as darkness settled in. Her body collapsed onto the ground.

_Wha...?_

As Pawn strode through the winding paths down the mountain, he grabbed his cell phone and dialed a number. The phone rang twice before the receiver answered.

"Yes?" the voice asked. "Lucas? It's Alan." Pawn responded. "Projects: Myst and Naga are progressing phenomenally. As you have predicted, sir, their state has evolved into The Perfect Nightmare. With the symptoms from the addiction in full force, they will be yours to control!"

There was a silence. "Excellent."

"What's next, sir?" Pawn asked. "Order the troops! Projects: Terra and Geist have already been stationed. The attack on New Bodhum begins!"

* * *

**Well, that's all for now! The plot sure is thickening...Introducing Hope and Sazh to Blaze. Lightning doesn't become a l'Cie. Finally, Fang and Vanille's brands progress further, along with the withdrawal symptoms affecting them two and Blaze as well. But what about Pawn? And now two other Projects are heading to New Bodhum? What will come of Snow and Serah?**

**Next time, Blaze and Hope encounter Project: Terra. A bruised Lightning returns to New Bodhum, and Fang and Vanille have their worst nightmare yet! The action intensifies as the Act II finale nears!**

**P.S. Whenever I imagine Titan speaking, I'm always imagining Treebeard from Lord of the Rings. I dunno why, but it always comes to mind. **


	15. Chapter 13

**Hey readers, here's the finished version of Chapter 13. These chapters are getting much longer since I'm pacing my writing differently, but the three different perspectives is certainly adding some length. This chapter is a bit less dramatic and emotionally tense than those previous to it. I wanted this chapter to be a nice foundation for the Act 2 finale. Fang's perspective is entirely italicized because it is a very confusing dream. If you don't understand, feel free to send me a pm or ask in a review. I'll be clearing it up along with other things in the next Intermission.**

**Reviews always appreciated, I would love to hear some feedback from those who got this far. **

**Awake**

**Chapter Thirteen: Trust

* * *

**

_Oerba Yun Fang inhaled calmly, her body at ease during her time at rest. She was in a state of pure bliss, the temperate evening sun casting its rays upon her. Fang exhaled, maintaining a smooth, equal rhythm, faking sleep. She didn't know why she kept her eyes closed to the outside world, pretending she was caught in her dreams. In the end, Fang concluded that she found the tiniest fragment of fun from the charade, as she was certainly not in a place to possess outside fears._

_A comfortable warmth surrounded her, blades of grass and wildflowers tickling her back. She was lying down on the grassy floor of someplace she struggled to remember. Trying to recall the area, Fang was shocked to discover that the images that she conjured in her head were fuzzy and distorted. As if she wasn't the one to experience them._

_'Man, am I tired. I feel like I had slept for days! I'll just...stay right here...where it's nice...and comfortable.' She thought to herself in between yawns._

_Fang squeezed the blades of grass poking her palms, taking in the heat of the ground beneath her. With the sun shining on her tanned skin, the teasing touch of the grass beneath her hands, and the subtle breeze blowing strands of her wild black hair seemed so serene for her. Fang was convinced she needed another nap. The tranquility of the moment was well-deserved, Fang thought to herself. She was on the edge of staying awake and falling back into the abyss of seductive sleep. Fang felt very cozy where she lied._

_Her eyes remained shut, she wasn't concerned for the happenings of the outside world anyway. All she wanted to do was return to her peaceful slumber, but it proved to be most elusive. A content hum formed in her throat. Any energy to get up and away was long gone, vanished to be captured by another. Fang didn't worry that her body was so comfortably numb, and the will to even lift the slightest finger of the ground was impossible. She could imagine herself moving each appendage quite normally, in fact, but it seemed that her body never received the message from her brain. She decided that leaving such a nice patch of earth didn't sound too entertaining anyway. Why should she get up and go when she knows she will be leaving behind such a velvety surface?_

_So, Fang decided to stay. Her sari acted as a quaint little blanket while she tried to slip back into her dreams. For but a single moment, she pondered where the blue article of clothing had come from, faintly remembering her outfit consisting of a more contemporary look most residents of Cocoon enjoyed. Distant visages of Gran Pulse popped into her mind. Fang remembered learning much about the abandoned, forsaken lower world in grade school. The barren, desolate wasteland holding artifacts from a forgotten civilization. The sari, Fang knew, was typical garb of the tribal women among many of the small towns and villages._

_As a professional athlete, Fang knew that the Pulsian sari was obviously not a suiting choice of clothing. But where did the piece of fabric come from? Fang knew she had never donned such apparel before in her twenty-one years. The old antique wear of the lower world never piqued her interest anyway. Fang was a Cocoon girl, born and raised, and she would stick to the cycle of popular fashion trends like every other girl she knew._

_Fang yawned, and the memories blew away with another brush of the wind. Her mind returned to the problem at hand: sleep. It annoyed her that she couldn't return to her state of rest, but she reasoned that staying in one place would allow sleep to claim her._

_With her eyes closed, Fang could sense her hearing amplify. She wasn't phased by how quickly the change occurred. In the short span of a minute, it was as if Fang never had her eyes in the first place. The monotonous trickle of water in some far off area filled her ears. The flow of water was leisurely and calm, the falling water splashing into the pools below. The continuous pitter-patter of water droplets reminded Fang of the waterfalls she had seen centuries ago back on an inhabited Gran Pulse. The gushing water dancing from rock to rock as it began its journey to the deep basins below, the cool water in which she bathed in frequently when away from Oerba, and the lakes where she would fish for her next meal._

_Her mind wandered back to her relaxing ventures to the Suyyla Springs. The underground geysers spouting steaming water to the surface for those brave enough to find it. The small cove where the hot springs hid were fiercely guarded by the fal'Cie Bismark, who made his usual patrols in the cooler, freshwater area of Suyyla. Boring memories of learning about the cultural importance of Suyyla in class flashed back to Fang. She never understood why she had to learn about the lower world's finished history when all her life she knew she would stay rooted in Cocoon._

_Fang grunted in confusion, making every effort to repair the fragmented memories of this area. She knew she had journeyed to the Springs all the time when she was younger...but Fang knew that her school in Cocoon had showed her the tourist spot first._

_The huntress dismissed the doubt and confusion hanging over her, and returned her attention to the water. Her skin felt the cooling sensation of the water flowing onto her, despite knowing her body was completely dry. The water was temperate, excellent for spending an hour or two letting the springs rejuvenate ones body. Fang heard other splashes of water from the pool, disturbing the streams' constant descent. Fish, Fang had assumed, were darting about, free of predators. The fresh water soothed her, and for a moment, Fang felt the fish in the pond glide across her skin._

_The little touches and teases caused a mellow Fang to sigh in relief. Not for that she was worrying over something, but the contact seemed to unwind the woman. She felt sleep calling her name._

_Fang's nose picked up on the myriad of different scents wafting through the air. The wildflowers released a delightful aroma. The smells brought Fang back to her days in Oerba when Spring was in full bloom. 'Oh what it would be like to be a kid again.' she mused, remembering the joy she garnered from playing in the fields, to running down the vast, sprawling meadows with the sun's gaze on her back. There was no sign of fear in the young girl's head. Cocoon was going about its business of taking Gran Pulse's land to build upon itself, her tribespeople joyfully obliging to relinquish their land as a sacrifice. A happy smile appeared on her lips, remembering the day where she had shed her dirty, barbaric heritage as a mongrel of Pulse to join the elite of Cocoon!_

_Years later from that event, Fang reveled in the luxurious majesty of her new life. Each night she enjoyed the classy social gatherings of Cocoon's wealthy and powerful. As a successful woman herself, Fang was able to take in all the upper world had to offer. The fine food, the money, the parties! Everything was light years ahead of Gran Pulse's pathetic excuse for entertainment. The fireworks display at Nautilus was truly a sight to behold, Fang reminisced. The epic reenactment of the War of Transgression delivered a sound and powerful message to her. She remembered bowing her head that night, thanking the fal'Cie for all that had given her._

_Fang lived a happy, satisfied life on Cocoon, basking in all the gifts the fal'Cie were willing to give. Snapping back to reality, Fang set aside the delights of her past lives. She exhaled, finally letting sleep take her._

_But something felt different._

_Looking back, Fang noticed major flaws in her memory. The hazy, misshapen images were unclear to her, and the feelings and sensations the experiences provoked were both familiar and unknown. She could recall on many different occasions when she would travel out of Oerba with others from her village, ready to hunt the wild beasts of Gran Pulse. Fang could remember the winter festival held one a year. Memories of her parents death and her childhood flew by, just as blurry as the others._

_Fang found it strange she could call upon such events, when deep down she knew she was from Cocoon! From excelling in sports during grade school, to all the odd jobs she did around Eden, and finally...And finally the PSICOM army enlistment! 'That's right!' Fang said to herself, confirming the past she knew was true. She was a budding athlete, who, without any money, scavenged Eden for any work people were willing to give her. But with the fal'Cie taking care of everything, Fang realized her services were not needed, and so, to feel some purpose in her life, she enlisted into the military. Which, under Lucas' jurisdiction, PSICOM developed Fang into Project: Naga. It all made complete sense now! Well, kind of anyway, Fang concluded. Everything now was just foggy and unclear. Her thoughts were sluggish and riddled with confusion._

_Who was the real Fang? The one who lived happily on Cocoon, where everything was given to her, Or the one who lived onPulse, the ugly lower world her teachers on Cocoon told her about? Both sets of memories seemed legit, but her Cocoon memories were aggressive, persuasive, commanding Fang to believe them and denounce everything else._

_Fang could sense someone's eyes on her. The noise from the stranger marred the perfect ambience Fang had found herself to be surrounded with. The stranger hummed softly, the voice pleasing to the huntress' ears. Fang could hear the stranger speak quietly to herself, as if she was trying not to wake up the woman. The person tiptoed across the patches of warm grass, each step sending vibrations through Fang's body. The figure moved away for an instant, and made her way towards the pools of water. Fang could hear the water being disturbed by the invading hand and tossed pebble._

_Then the stranger spoke._

_"Wake up, Fang!" the voice called out to her, snapping the raven-haired woman out of her sleepy state. The voice was familiar, unmistakeable even. Beautifully accented, each word had the power to warm Fang's heart and just as easily break it. Her voice sent shivers down her spine. 'Vanille' Fang thought to herself, regarding the woman warmly._

_The woman's name was like a bolt of lightning on Fang's mind. Images that were once puzzling were now clear and vivid as dawn. Her doubts were only confirmed when memories of her life of paradise on Cocoon bored down on her._

_"Come on, Fang. Wake up!" the redhead giggled. She tugged Fang's arm, the blood flowing back to the numb ligament. "Get going! You haven't become a Cie'th yet." Vanille instructed, her tone bouncy and excited. A breath hitched in Fang's throat. She nudged Fang's arm again, as if it was some amazing persuasion technique. With all the force in her body, Fang rolled onto her side, colliding with the warmth of Vanille's body. Delicate, fragile hands cradled Fang's head._

_"Let's get going, Fang." she spoke softly in the huntress' ear. "The Perfect Nightmare has only just begun. Gather your things, it's gonna be a wild ride." Vanille giggled, leaving Fang behind as she stood._

_Fang's eyes opened, taking in the landscape her mind had painted for her. From the grass between her toes to the babbling river flowing into the basin, everything was highly realistic. She's had similar dreams before, where she could have sworn she was awake instead of dreaming the world around her. She moved into a sitting position, fingers moving up to rub her temples. A pounding headache wormed its way in, and Fang couldn't help but cringe with each beat. Her view locked on the crystal husk of Cocoon, suspended on its pillar. Just where she left it before._

_She nodded her head, confirming that The Perfect Nightmare had not sent her backwards in time. 'The Perfect Nightmare...' she thought to herself, repeating the phrase until it sank in. "Without further adieu, I bid you a good night, and sweet dreams..." Pawns voice echoed in her head. She remembered getting unusually tired, unusually quickly. Fang didn't have enough time to see if Vanille was being affected by the same thing happening to her before she blacked out._

_'Fuck! No!' Fang mentally screamed, realizing she was trapped in her own dream. The phrase pierced through the restricting fog, letting Fang's true memories flow back into place. Her time with Vanille and Pawn at the pinnacle of a mountain between Oerba and New Bodhum. Her blistering, popping skin; swarms of hungry maggots erupting from the open wounds. Vanille's temper tantrums and mood swings. Fighting Lightning in Paddra, meeting Blaze. Awakening from her crystallized state. Everything came back to her._

_Fang stood up on wobbly legs, eyes frantically searching for Vanille. She planned on using the redhead as a guide through The Perfect Nightmare. She flexed her palm, staring at the muscles and bone move within her skin. Fang wondered how badly the experience would be after only one vaccination, compared to Vanille's four._

_"Hello, Project: Naga. How is my little lab rat doing?" Another voice spoke, the noise coming in from all around her. It felt like a bucket of ice cold water had been dumped on her. The new voice was Lucas! Fang groaned, remembering how welcome she was in her old prison cell watched over by the PSICOM director. She growled, images of Vanille's torture sessions returning. Her fingers rolled against the side of her leg, her head turning to find Lucas' hiding spot._

_"Too scared to talk to me in person, huh? Just gonna let your damn machines do all the talking for you?" Lucas laughed, the ground visibly shaking. The red three-section staff, Fang's spear, abruptly appeared in her hand. Fang tensed at the sudden sensation, calming when her fingers ran over the old familiar surface. "Hm. You seem to have some control of yourself here. Interesting." Lucas said._

_Fang strode forward, spear at the ready. Passing the still pools, Fang noticed the water from the falls above had frozen in air. The ice reflecting the sun's glare into a miniature rainbow. The fish were but floating crystal statues, motionless in air. A winding path down the mountain led Fang away. She trudged down the rocky path, Gran Pulse unfolding before her. The massive airship fal'Cie, Ark, glided along effortlessly through the cloudy skies. The clashing of metal and gunshots became louder as a valley came into view far away._

_Soldiers were fighting against each other, and Fang could tell casualties on both sides were mounting up. She took off running in bounds and leaps down the path, the battle only a few strides out of reach. The typical armor and uniform of PSICOM standards stuck out like a sore thumb, a small battalion of the gunmen were advancing upon a position held by the opposing army._

_"If you want me, Lucas, then come and get me!" she screamed to no one. Fang wasn't too sure if Lucas could even hear her. She silently observed the massacre, safely hidden behind a fallen tree. She was waiting for a break in either armies forces, but the flow of PSICOM soldiers seemed endless. Wave after wave, never letting up and only gaining inches of land, the troopers fought on until their last dying breath. Lucas' forces would eventually overwhelm Gran Pulse's meager defenses, her Focus coming full circle._

_Suddenly, the sounds of a man laughing rung in the distance. "Is that all you got, Lucas? Come on, I know you're better than this!" the speaker shouted happily. Fang could see what looked like an armored machine charging directly for her, the thing slaughtering the PSICOM forces blocking its path as if they were flies. As he approached, Fang noticed who it was. "Blaze!" she cried out, waving her spear in the air to notify the man where she was. Gouts of flame encircled the glowing the man. The grass was scorched beneath him, each step igniting the ground into a steadily growing fire. The puddles of melted slag and bone swirled downhill, remains of those soldiers hit by Blaze's superheated touch._

_A wall of fire boxed Fang and Blaze in. The flames were high and thick enough to prevent any outside interruptions. The redhead's thick mane of red hair whipped around him, his brand shining blindingly intense even beneath the metal plates covering him. He was just as Fang remembered, right before he deemed it sane enough to jump out of a drop pod thousands of feet in the air, and without so much of a parachute to slow his fall. The black plates of armor covered him from head to toe, and a respirator covered the lower side of his face. The air around was shimmering and distorted, the heat resonating from his body visibly showing. A bloody red aura enveloped his body, black dark flecks of color floating inside._

_"I brought you a present, Fang." Blaze said. From behind him, Vanille miraculously stepped around to face the huntress, an embarrassed look present on her face. Fang gasped and rushed over to the redhead. "Both of you are here too?" Fang inquired, inspecting Vanille for any cuts or bruises. She was bare of any bodily harm. She could see that Blaze had a small trickle of blood, the droplets escaping from the space in between where his armor met his neck and shoulder. His palms flexed every so often, Blaze gazing down to look at them every so often._

_"Yeah...Well kinda." Vanille responded, turning to Blaze to provide a clearer response. "You're the only real being here, Fang. This is your Perfect Nightmare, we're only here because your subconsciously fighting Lucas and resisting his attempts to control you. The raging war behind us symbolizes that. Your memories conjured us here to help you along. If you continue to fight Lucas with all your might, we will remain."_

_Fang nodded. "Sounds easy then. What's the first thing I should do? It seems like PSICOM and Gran Pulse are really duking it out out there." Blaze grunted in agreement, and turned. Her walked towards the edge of wall of fire, Fang following from behind. He lowered a portion of the wall with two fingers, deftly sidestepping the hail of gunfire, only partially melting from his fiery aura. By now the Pulsian force had fallen back to higher ground, artillery fire covering their retreat._

_"The Perfect Nightmare is something you cannot control, Fang. The dark machine tests you, and this is one test you cannot pass. PSICOM forces will overrun your people's last defenses. It will happen to you, just as it happened to Vanille, and in a similar scenario, to me. No amount of will or sheer brute strength will break the spell. After this session you will undergo more, until Lucas completely controls you."_

_Blaze exhaled deeply and clenched his armored fist. He repaired the hole he formed in the fire wall and headed back to the center. Fang spun around to face him. Vanille watched the two. "So," he started, a hand reaching out to touch Vanille's shoulder. "The first thing that needs to be taken care of is this runt." he said out of the blue. With a shriek, Vanille was flat on the ground. Blaze stood above her, a foot planted on her stomach while a hand was aimed for her throat. Two small plumes of flame erupted from his fingers._

_"Hey! What are you—" Fang said hastily, rushing towards Blaze and Vanille. She skidded to a stop a few feet before the pair and slammed the shaft of her spear against Blaze's side, thrusting him off frightened redhead. "What the hell do you think you're doing, huh?" She stood in front of Vanille, defending her from whatever the insane mans intentions were. Blaze stumbled back, grunting in pain from the blow. His arm moved to rub the spot that was hit._

_"I told you, Fang." Blaze breathed in deeply through his respirator. "I need to get rid of Vanille! She is the cause of your pain! Killing her is the only way to rid yourself of those feelings. If you won't let me do it than you need to do this, Fang!"_

_The whole time Blaze spoke Fang just glared at him. No one was going to lay a finger on Vanille while she was around. The huntress moved forward and held out her spear towards Blaze, the blade stopping way too close for comfort. Her eyes flicked left and right, realizing that if push came to shove, there would be nowhere to run within the ring of fire. Blaze knew how to get to Fang also, targeting Vanille first to do any harm to the raven-haired woman. She inched the blade further, the sharpened points poking his armor, leaving tiny holes in the suit._

_"Shut up, will ya? This ain't Vanille's fault! And don't ever accuse her of being the one to cause this whole mess when we're all victims of those blasted fal'Cie!"_

_'If anything it's my fault for not leaving the world a better place when I left it last time around. But I can't really beat myself up over that.'_

_"Than whose fault is it than, Fang? Who is the one who has been causing you such emotional pain? The horrible nightmares and all the nasty words she's spits at you—Whose fault is that?" Blaze shouted, grabbing the spear and pushing it away from him. He took a deep breath through his respirator, extinguishing the pillars of flame that trapped the trio inside. The scorched ring of grass and dirt steamed._

_"It's Lucas' fault!" she responded, keeping Blaze a fair distance away from Vanille. "He's the one who unfroze the two of us and got the fantastic idea to force all of us into taking over the world!" She stood before Blaze now, staring into the three horizontal lines that served as eyes for the suit. The glowing crimson looked back, faceless and emotionless._

_"That doesn't matter here, Fang. Your girlfriend over there is the one who needs to die. Now back off." he commanded, pushing Fang aside in one fluid motion. She snarled and smashed into Blaze once more. "Vanille, run. Metal Man over here is gonna get his ass beaten." she cracked her knuckles and issued the challenge._

_Blaze was motionless and silent. His armor began to glow a bright orange, the metal plates beginning to melt off into slag. "Hm. You're willing to fight back with such confidence. It seems you might have the ability to break through The Perfect Nightmare. Lucas will be sure to change that."_

_The melting armor slid to the ground in puddles around him. Blaze turned and began to leave, abruptly ending the conversation. "Where are you running off to, you scared?"_

_Fang said, following Blaze. As she neared the man he suddenly burst into flame, his skin igniting into a sweltering fire. Startled, Fang leaped backwards, out of the rising heat. Her wary eyes leered at him, her spear ready to strike at any sudden movement. Blaze's body flared into a raging inferno, the ground beneath him catching fire. He turned his head back to look at her for a moment, a knowing smirk on his lips. He gave Fang a thumbs up while she looked on in bewilderment. A skull materialized around his head, a helmet of some sort. The barren eye sockets were brought to life, green flashing sparks inside the hollow cavities._

_Blaze turned forward and carried onwards, vanishing back into the fray. "Bah!" Fang said in disbelief, her palm covering her face. She needed a break, the current events were just too otherworldly and fucking weird for her. She groaned, collapsed to her knees, and began to rub her temples again, trying ease another oncoming headache. Other than the sounds of the soldiers, the stomping of feet and the gunshots, everything else was rather silent. By now the PSICOM soldiers had completely breached the Pulsian defenses. They were still putting up a good fight, Fang thought, but she knew the enemy would win eventually._

_Fang heard a quiet sigh from behind her, and remembered that Vanille was still around, realizing that she had remained silent for the whole endeavor with Blaze. The huntress got to her feet and turned to see Vanille standing on a little ways away, watching the battle from her higher vantage point. "Hey!" she called out to the redhead. "You alright?"_

_Vanille nodded solemnly as Fang neared her. "I'll be fine." she said timidly. Fang frowned. "You don't sound like you're fine. What's wrong?" she asked, a hand reaching out to Vanille in concern. The girl's eyes widened in shock and she smacked the raven-haired woman's hand away from her. "Don't touch me with that arm!" she yelped, shrinking away from her._

_Fang gasped and eyed her heavier than usual arm. She yelled in surprise and shot the appendage away from her. The oversized ligament was now more reminiscent of a decaying tree trunk. Fang's 'arm' was a mucky ice blue, chunks of who-knows-what jutting out from the sides. Her fingers were now swollen blue pieces of bark._

_"What the fuck?" she screamed to herself. Swinging the disproportionate arm around. A loud, painful ringing filled her ears as she did so, bringing Fang to her knees. As she tried to shield herself from the pain, Fang noticed her legs becoming unnaturally skinny. She could hardly stand up, her gangling body outweighed by her thickening arms. Her right one soon mirrored its twin, swelling to tree trunk size, chunks of her bark-like skin protruding from every different direction._

_Fang observed her brand glow intensely bright, energy surging through her veins. The circle inside in the Orphan Brand opened to reveal a large, red eye, signifying the brands end. Fang's skin turned a light pale shade of blue. She pounded her fists on the ground, groaning and croaking out nonsensical words. Her sentence caught in her throat when she realized she couldn't understand the gibberish she was saying._

_'No, dammit! Not again! I can't let The Perfect Nightmare get to me, okay? Stay strong, Fang!'_

_The sky flashed white, and the ground quaked. Fang looked up and stared into the eyes of Ragnarok._

* * *

As the airship glided across Gran Pulse, Lightning Farron stared aimlessly at its rolling hills and steep plateaus that littered the landscape. White puffs of clouds were pierced by the aircraft, the moisture collecting onto the windows that partially obscured the soldier's view. Small groupings of chocobos darted across Pulse's surface, only the size of tiny yellow ants from Lightning's altitude. The adamantoise were still quite large, their thundering steps frightening the herds of the bright yellow birds. From her seat in Knight's airship, Lightning could see the vast Archylte Steppe stretch over the horizon.

C.H.E.S.S. had only recently left the Bandit occupied city of Haerri, and were now on their return trip to Oerba. The information gathered at the Faultwarrens and Titan's Throne, and the Cultists themselves were to be relayed back to the Oerba Republic's leader, Bartholomew. Hope's father had been previously informed of PSICOM's intentions by Lightning. Their destructive powers at Paddra, Operation: Spearhead, and the existence of Cocoon super soldiers mere examples of what Lightning could only imagine. The Projects that were to lead the assault had been briefly explained to the aging man, but the identities were withheld, to protect Fang and Vanille.

The two native Pulsians had faced their fate as a l'Cie twice already; which Lightning thought was two times to many to be subject to such a destiny. The Potion to save Vanille's life in Paddra, and sending out Pawn were the only other decisions besides keeping their lives a secret Lightning could think of in order to have them avoid conflict. A noble decision, Lightning reasoned with herself. But she knew Fang was too damn stubborn and proud of her old homeland to stay out of the war for long. The strawberry blonde only wished the two Projects would stay alive long enough for the three to confront each other again. She and Fang had a score to settle, on top of the thank you Fang and Vanille most certainly deserved.

C.H.E.S.S. was to deliver the data collected at Haerri, Titan's Throne, and the Faultwarrens, to Bartholomew at Oerba. Lightning had other things on her mind, however. She decided that she would be dropped off at New Bodhum first, and for the rest of her team to continue to Oerba. The choice of action made by Hope's father could simply be carried onto her via communicator, as her business in New Bodhum were of much more importance. The soldier would want a debriefing on Pawn's mission as well.

_Bartholomew certainly has it rough... _Lightning thought to herself, completely aware of the immense responsibilities thrust upon the man. He was running a freshly made nation in an unknown land with limited supplies, with an end-all-wars war closing in. The outlook was certainly grim. After everything that could be researched on PSICOM and Projects were assembled, a strategy could finally be made. Formulating a plan of defense and attack, with limited military experience and personnel, to ensure the survival of Gran Pulse was only something that could only be achieved through the combined efforts of Bartholomew, General Amodar, and herself. Lightning certainly did not want such a responsibility.

Paddra was only a glimpse of Cocoon strength, the independent city weak and unprepared against a superior enemy. The city was easily taken over, and had subsequently collapsed into the ravine it was built upon. The ragtag militia that was pulled together by the civilians who actually fought for their city were quickly trampled by Lucas' war machine.

Lightning silently commemorated their bravery, but chided their stupidity, foolishness, and stubbornness. The Paddrans had believed they had a small shred of hope. C.H.E.S.S. had arrived only too late to properly aid the people. Paddra was a massacre, the Cocoon forces merciless and unrelenting in their systematic takedown of the city. Paddra was not part of the Republic anyway, Lightning concluded. The city was bound to fall eventually. The meager excuse of a government was overshadowed by the corruption seeping from its pores. Bandits and Cultists held precedence over the markets. It was only a matter of time before insurrections destroyed the city.

But Lucas caught the city in his grasp first, his Rejected One's laying waste to the city after PSICOM pulled out.

Lightning wasn't about to let her new home fall to her enemies. Sure, Cocoon had the weapons and technology. Hell, it even had a fal'Cie on its side! But this was not going to stop her. She was tired of the higher powers threatening her. Lightning knew she had to defend her homeland despite the new responsibilities it would bring, as if the stacks of paperwork weren't enough. She had to grow up one day, the harsh reality of an actual war a concept new to the people of both worlds.

Lightning returned her gaze to the window.

As Knight's airship soared over the skies of Gran Pulse, Lightning was able to see the faint outlines of smoke trails floating lazily to the upper atmosphere behind her. Haerri was long gone by now, with more than a days away from the chaotic mass of ramshackle buildings and ruined huts huddling close by. New Bodhum would come into view within the hour, the soldier girl being one step closer to returning to Serah, and unfortunately to Snow. Their house was only temporary lodging for the strawberry blonde, as she spent most of her time away and off on some mission. She also detested every waking minute spent in Snow's house. Wait, scratch that, even asleep she hated being there. Snow snored so loudly Lightning swore she felt the house shake.

_Unless they...Oh Eden, no!_

She took a mental note to punch Snow so hard he would lose consciousness for a few hours...or days.

The detour in New Bodhum was to simply check up on Serah and Hope, as she had done so many times before. Her past habits were hard to break, as Lightning knew well enough that Serah nor Hope needed her as much as they used to. Serah had Snow, despite how inept and moronic he is, and Hope had grown up. She had always liked the feeling of being needed, but without anyone around anymore, she resorted to fully devoting herself to her work. The people of Gran Pulse still needed her anyway.

_Rook, Bishop, Knight, and Pawn can't be left alone either._ The thought brought a faint laugh to her lips, the beginnings of a smile forming. She wanted to try doing that more, smiling that is. It made her feel more human, and not some machine on an endless cycle of one mission to the next. Lightning could never figure out whether it was optimism or avoidance that kept her squad mates in such high spirits. Pawn was the most worried out of the five, as he had a brother and girlfriend still on Cocoon. It was unconfirmed if they had survived the Planetfall, or had succumbed to Lucas' will.

_Which reminds me..._ She thought to herself, her fingers lightly tapping the hilt of her gunblade. _I should tell Pawn to head to Oerba now. It's too risky to be late with information at this point. Especially when he owes me a report on Fang and Vanille's activities._

Lightning unhooked the tiny communicator from its resting place on her belt. She eyed the little device, the startup menus popping onto screen. She flipped it open, satisfied to see the bars on the top left corner fill to capacity. She had a signal. C.H.E.S.S. had its own independent tower working for the team, so as to prevent anyone from intercepting a call or jamming the connection. Sliding the antennae out, Lightning typed the seven-digit number, and clicked send. She exhaled calmly, lifting the phone to her ear. Her boot tapped the metal floor while the phone rang.

And rang...

And rang...

The strawberry blonde flipped the communicator down with an aggravated grunt. _Pick up, Pawn..._

She dialed the number a second time, her foot tapping at a faster pace. Checking to make sure her signal was still full, she placed the receiver to her ear. Pawn wasn't known for neglecting to answer calls. The phone rang for a good thirty seconds without anyone on the other side picking up. Lightning hung up again right before the voicemail recording was about to begin. She was obviously annoyed, and a stupid automated voice wasn't going to calm her down.

_Pick up, stupid. You know you are always supposed to pick up your communicator. Unless a Behemoth is eating you or you fell off a cliff, I expect you to pick up, or I'll do something far worse than any animal or falling from a cliff could ever do._

Opening the phone up for the third and final time, she reassured herself that she still had a full connection, and that Pawn would definitely pick up now after he was mentally scolded by her. The battery was good, and nothing else seemed to be possible of preventing her from getting a call sent out. Lightning pressed the appropriate buttons, the phone beginning to ring. It droned its monotone tune every four or five seconds, until another thirty seconds had gone by. Still, Pawn did not pick up his blasted communicator!

Lightning exhaled and rubbed her temples. Her ears piqued at the sudden voice coming out of the receiver, only to realize it was the voicemail. She placed the small device back onto her belt and raised a hand to eye level. She clenched the gloved appendage and swung. Her fist pounded against the metal wall of Knight's airship. Lightning was not strong enough to put a healthy sized dent in aircraft's interior, but she certainly considered carving a hole out with her gunblade.

Her brash actions drew the attention of Knight and Bishop in the front row of the airship. The pilot glared at Lightning through his corner mirror. The soldier girl disregarded his face; she couldn't stand when her plan was suddenly thrown off track by unknown circumstances. Pawn would be seriously reprimanded for not answering. She punched the wall again.

"H—Hey! Don't hit my baby like that!" Knight ordered, turning to give Lightning a scolding look through his aviators. She could see her own reflection in the glasses. "Apologize to her." he said. "Tch." was the only thing from Bishop's mouth before she landed a soft punch to the pilot's shoulders. "Oh shush, Knight. You can see the boss is pissed. You should know better than trying to get in her way when she's anger like that."

Lightning nodded slowly, regaining her composure. The two in the front seat turned back their original positions. "Well she's my airship" Knight mumbled. Lightning sighed, blowing a few strands of pink hair from her bangs. She decided that if Pawn couldn't pick up, she might as well call Hope.

She dialed the familiar sequence of numbers, having done this countless times before. Hope and the soldier had remained close over the three years since the Planetfall, so it was of no surprise that both had the others number. Lightning also kept in contact with Sazh in New Nautilus, but she figured that out of all the cities on Gran Pulse, the new rendition of the amusement park-city was the safest. She did not want Sazh to be in the conflict anyway; he was much too old, and he had a son to take care of. After clicking the send key, the phone rang for around fifteen seconds before Hope's familiar voice came through the receiver.

"Heya, Light, what are you up to? It's a little strange that you would be calling me on the private line instead of the public channel." his voice sparked through the phone. The voice quality was clear as crystal, leaving Lightning in a deeper bout of suspicion about Pawn's wellbeing. She cleared her throat.

"Hey, Hope." she tried to sound more happy than relieved to be talking to the boy. "I'm heading back to New Bodhum, and after recent events I think it was a good call to speak to you on the private, secure line."

"Oh, okay then." he responded, his voice sounding a little faint and away from the phone. Another voice was talking to Hope, loud enough for her to hear on her own side. Lightning quirked an eyebrow. "You okay over there? Sounds like you have company." she inquired.

"Y-Yeah." he hastily responded. "It's just me and a new friend I made. I'm showing him around the city." Lightning nodded in agreement, but knew Hope couldn't actually tell she was doing so. A small smirk played on her lips when she heard the other voice with Hope distinctly ask to not be further mentioned.

"So you're returning to New Bodhum? My dad needs to speak with you and C.H.E.S.S." he questioned, clearing his throat to retain clarity in his claims. Lightning sensed he was hiding something from the tone of his voice. "I'm being dropped off while the others meet up with your father at Oerba. I gotta make sure Snow hasn't burnt the house down." Hope responded with a deep-throated laugh. She frowned slightly, trying to discern why Hope was acting strangely...Well stranger than normal anyway. The sounds of someone moving and unintelligible sounds filled the phone, followed by Hope's voice.

"Listen, Light, I need to tell you something. Something important." he spoke in a quiet, hushed whisper. "Alright. I'm all ears..." she replied, her interest piquing. "Now that I am away from _him_ I can tell you what I've learnt so far—" Lightning cut him off. "What do you mean, learnt so far? What are you up to, Hope?" the teenager sighed.

"I met up with that weirdo that visited your place the other day, that guy with the really long red hair. Said his name was Blaze. Ring any bells?" he asked. Lightning's breath hitched in her throat and she nearly dropped the communicator. _Project: Blaze? Still in New Bodhum? He must be some scout for the bulk of Lucas' army. Fuck!_

"What are you doing, Hope! That man is dangerous, you could—" it was Hope's turn to interrupt Lightning. "Shush, Light. He's okay, trust me. He's on our side for the time being. He's already told me a lot of information about the Projects and PSICOM!"

"But Hope..." she trailed on, about to bring back to commanding attitude. "Just have faith in me, Light. I'm bringing him to Taejin's Tower for more answers. I'll text you everything else I learned, it seems that he's getting suspicious of my absence."

Lightning sighed in annoyance, shaking her head to disapprove with his rash decisions. Hope may have become a man, but he didn't not share the experience and knowledge Lightning had. "Just trust me, Light." he repeated. "I have to go."

"See ya." she said plainly, then flipped the phone closed. _Well now things could be much, much worse. Blaze could be tricking them all, just gaining their trust for PSICOM. Looks like I'll definitely have to take a detour in New Bodhum._

Minutes went by with Lightning staring listlessly out the window of the airship. Her destination would be coming into view quite shortly, in fact. Besides the quiet conversation between Knight and Bishop in the front row of seats, chattering about some topic she had not cared for, the aircraft was peacefully silent. Rook, like herself, never talked much in hopes of beginning or aiding to a conversation. The two simply spoke when they had something to say. It wasn't because the barriers she had painstakingly erected years ago prevented her from sharing normal conversations with people, the fault laid on the desensitizing world of military life. It changes you forever, but even in the end, Lightning only desired to speak when she had to talk about something.

Easing back into her seat, her vision focused on one particular terrestrial object in the Pulsian skies. The great sphere of Cocoon was massive, even from this distance. As the airship whizzed by the wyverns, Lightning could see the clouds parting from the upper half of Cocoon's cracked shell. For three years the crystallized planet had remained dormant, or quiet enough for the people of Gran Pulse to take no heed to PSICOM. She scolded herself for not realizing her enemy was still alive, and resided just next door. The idea was disturbing to say the least, that her enemy was watching from above. It was observing, planning, calculating its next move. Lucas' plan was certainly outrageous. But any insane man is dangerous.

From Lightning's position inside the aircraft, she could see the shattered sphere sparkling of gold. It was quiet a beautiful sight to behold. The rays of the sun reflecting in wayward angles off the crystal branches and stalks that kept the planet rooted in place. A rainbow formed whenever the sun was in the right position of the day, making the entire scenery look pleasant, and innocent. Lightning noticed that the broken planet was glowing brighter than it usually did recently, a sign that PSICOM had to be up to something bigger than their previous efforts. New Bodhum was a more densely populated city than Paddra, built on a stronger foundation, and designed coincidentally for close-quarters gunfights. Airships had enough trouble maneuvering through the upper echelons of the city, giving Lightning the idea that PSICOM would favor a ground assault as aircraft were too unreliable. The towering skyscrapers forming a concrete canopy over the city.

_That doesn't look so good..._She thought to herself, eyeing Cocoon. Portions of it glimmered with a bright gold for mere moments before blacking out, only to glow brighter once again. The cycle would repeat itself on an endless loop. Her fingers reached out to tap the hilt of her gunblade, a habit she had not really cared enough for to get rid of.

She imagined PSICOM preparing for war inside Cocoon. The processes they'd run now being similar to how the military force dealt with the Purge. Platoons of armed soldiers lining up before their general, saluting to him and pledging their undying loyalty and service. Lightning assumed that as PSICOM director, Lucas would be overseeing the operations personally while his Projects ran the show on the ground. The soldier girl had a hard time identifying the fal'Cie Ark that she knew was being used.

It didn't matter what they threw at the new inhabitants of Gran Pulse. They wouldn't go down without a fight.

"So, boss," Bishop started after a few more silent minutes past. The woman's chair swiveled to meet Lightning's eyes. The soldier girl changed her focus from the window to Bishop. "What are we gonna do after Oerba? I've been itchin' to fight some new PSICOM goons for a long time now!" She pounded a first into her open palm, a devilish look on her face. "Yeah, Lightning, I wanna crack some skulls." Knight added from the pilot's seat. Lightning nodded.

"Well...We have to wait for Bartholomew's reaction to our reports. He's the man in charge, so he will tell us what do to. Have patience." she replied to her two squad mates. Lightning was eager to fight just as much as the others. In reality, however, she actually had no idea what their next move would be. Without a definite location or time for Lucas' next attack, C.H.E.S.S. had to play on the defensive until such information could be gained.

In her own opinion, Lighting would advise striking Cocoon itself, riding ion the fact that her enemy would not think of the Pulsians striking back, or making the first move. The soldier girl knew well enough from countless missions that the element of surprise and the ability to instill fear in one's enemies could give you a major advantage in a fight. They only had to keep Ark bogged down long enough to render the fal'Cie useless, as it needed humans to control the massive airship's weaponry.

Where a surprise attack would work well, a simpler method would be to destroy the pillar leaving Cocoon frozen in the sky. But the consequences of such an action but that plan on the very bottom of the list. Only Titan's strength could possibly shoulder the impact Cocoon would make when colliding with Gran Pulse. Based off her recent visit with the obsidian fal'Cie, Lightning did not think he would want to do such a task.

Bartholomew would probably side with her own judgement, Lighting reasoned. It was purely illogical and immoral to let PSICOM trample the Pulsian people, simply waiting for the enemy to strike when they were superior already. General Amodar's decision would lean towards building up the nation's defenses until they were secure enough to withstand an attack. With solid defenses and countermeasures put in place, Amodar would order the troops to march to war. Lightning admired her commanding officer's wisdom and sage advice, and while his tactical genius in battle was stunning to behold, Lighting could not side with the man this time. Through Amodar's plan, months would go by under the terrifying shadow of Cocoon. The soldier girl knew Lucas had to be dealt with now.

"After our conference with Bartholomew I say we should consider what options we have." Knight said.

"We were late coming into Paddra, and PSICOM caught us off guard and unprepared. We can't be separated in the midst of battle. Further from that, we need to consider how dire the need to defend our new home is. We all know civilians will die during wartimes; it simply cannot be avoided, but we can't let the lives of every single endangered person distract us from the battle. Simple distractions will end up with us having more innocent blood on our hands than any one of us could stand for."

Rook responded, his voice low. The hammer-wielding man was as serious as he ever was. His voice commanded others to listen, as he did not speak much at all. Lightning stared at Rook with much interest in her eyes, analyzing his words and how somber the issue was.

"Yeah, but we just can't let innocent folks die!" Bishop retaliated. "As Gran Pulse's last line of defense and first line of attack, we cannot function properly when the people we serve don't trust us!"

"Bishop, I know how you feel about this, and trust me, I don't want to watch innocent people die when I could have stopped it. But Rook is right. Your intentions may be noble, but it could prove to be a costly mistake. We all enjoy the feeling of fighting, the sensation of fresh adrenaline pumping through our veins, but no soldier likes to go to war." Lightning remarked, a grim sigh escaping.

"I understand that I can't be helping everyone out there, but we can't make ourselves out to be mindless warmongers. We would be no better than Lucas and PSICOM." Bishop declared. Knight rubbed her shoulder soothingly. He knew Bishop's troubles on the subject more than anybody. He turned to Lightning, the two sharing mildly pained expressions. It was certainly a touchy topic, since they had the fate of thousands in their hands. Bartholomew and General Amodar couldn't dictate how they would go about their task, just as long as they completed it.

"All I know is that when the final battle comes, we'll have some allies to help us out." Lightning said openly, her fingers returning to her gunblades worn hilt. She really had to clean it sometime, the soldier thought to herself. He thoughts flashed back to Titan, her confrontation with the Faultwarren's Cultists, and her fight with Beast.

"Allies? Whatya' mean?" Knight asked, a confused look on his face. Bishop mirrored him. "Titan said he wouldn't help ya since you decided not to be a l'Cie again. And those Cultists are too weird to trust. That Weave guy was a wackjob. Besides that we ain't go nuthin' on our side. Maybe we can get help from the Bandits, for a price, but that still wouldn't tip the scales in our favor."

Lightning shook her head no. "We do have allies. Titan said he needed Divine Precedence to intervene in our struggles. He told me I would speak to the Goddess Etro soon, so maybe I can ask Her for aid. Hope told me She had stopped Ragnarok from going too far in the War of Transgression centuries ago."

A smirk formed on Knight's mouth. "Talking to the Gods now are we? Seems like this little adventure is just getting started. How do we go about communicating with the Goddess?"

Lightning opened her mouth to answer, but quickly shut it. "Actually...I don't know how or when exactly...Titan said I would speak with her soon..." she replied sadly. Her eyes flickered to Bishop and Rook, then back to Knight. "Fortunately, I think we do have an ally in Weave and his Cultists. He gave me this after you guys left." The three other C.H.E.S.S. members looked on in interest.

Lightning pulled out a small wood and metal horn from the storage pack on her thigh. The tiny instrument was hand carved from the trees that made their home in the Faultwarrens. The metal looked like to be gold plating, as it sparkled when sunlight touched it. A mouthpiece was at the top for the wielder to blow into, while the horn curved out to a larger hole where the sound would emit from. The insides were gutted and empty, so one's voice could be amplified.

The intricate designs of Old Pulsian script told Lightning that the Cultists had some true craftsmen among the crazed group of zealots. On the horn's underbelly, the depiction of an open-palmed hand was apparent. It looked similar to how Weave and his subordinates casted magic, which Lightning found to be not just some random coincidence. She concluded that it was probably the brand design Titan gave to his willing l'Cie, as the strawberry blonde had not seen any more skin on their bodies than their faces, which were barren of any brand.

"How's a little horn gonna help us, boss?" Knight questioned, an eyebrow rising over the outer rim of his aviators. Lightning held up the device, neatly fitting in both her hands to show her squad mates. "Weave gave this to me after I took the Behemoth test Titan ordered me to take. He said I passed, and that Titan asked me to keep the horn on me."

"What's it do?" Bishop asked. "It's supposed to call the Behemoths to my side. Weave said that might be as much assistance he could give me. I'm not entirely sure how I would go about—"

"_Warning! Warning! Incoming missile alert! Incoming missile alert!"_

"Shit!" Knight exclaimed, rapidly gaining manual control of the airship to avoid the mysterious projectile. The rocket whizzed past them, exploding into dust. Lightning quickly stormed out of her chair, toppling it over if it wasn't bolted down to the airship's hull. An arm rested on the top of Bishop's seat as the soldier girl peered out onto the horizon through the windshield. Her eyes widened in shock.

"No..." she whispered quietly, her fingers trembling. New Bodhum was in center view by now, the aircraft only minutes away from docking in fact. But Lightning knew now that shit had hit the fan.

New Bodhum was under attack. What appeared to be falling stars or meteors from the heavens descended upon the city, crashing onto the streets or colliding into buildings. Small airplanes circled particular buildings of importance, their guns firing on the mass of people below. From her point of view, Lightning could see tanks crawling through the main streets of the city, tank trails evident on the streets, unless the tank driver decided to crush a few cars under its unstoppable treads.

Armed PSICOM soldiers were like tiny ants from her height. But despite how high up she was, Lightning could tell they were numbered in the hundreds. The all too familiar sounds of gunfights and explosions could be heard, the ground shuddering with every blow. Fires were scattered around different areas of New Bodhum, great pillars of black smoke rising into the sky. The city's Guardian Corps were fighting back with equal intensity, never willing to give Lucas even an inch of ground. Separate battles were fought across the city.

"What...What do we do, boss?" Knight said. His voice had no hint of the cockiness and recklessness he was infamous for. Lightning swallowed nervously. She had to find out if Serah and Hope were okay. "Drop me off, I'll handle this." She said calmly. "Are you stupid! That's suicide!" Bishop cried. Lightning simply nodded and dismissed any doubts. This, she had to do.

"I know what I'm getting myself into. You three need to make it to Oerba. I'll be fine."

* * *

Blaze stared into the dirty panel of glass he held in his hand, eyeing his reflection in the broken mirror. His normally pale skin, now a light golden from exposure to the sunlight, had a healthy layer of dirt and grime caked onto him. An assortment of cuts, scars, and bruises adorned his body, the damage mostly self-inflicted or from training. Rubbing his neck, the ghost of an image of Lightning kicking him squarely in the face flashed by. Looking down, the crescent-shaped cut he carved into himself days ago had sewn back together quite nicely. Blaze had to draw energy from his brands to cause such a rapid healing process, as only the faintest hint of a scar remained of Blaze's tragic mental breakdown.

The brand covering his left eye had gone Cie'th a long time ago, caused by repeated acts of stupidity and ignorance during training and dealing with his decaying mental state. The arcing lines of black swept down to end slightly to the left of his nose, while the other end swept up to end somewhere in on his scalp, the particular area covered by his short mane of fiery hair. A small red Cie'th eye had opened right onto his eye, the once grayish ring unnoticeable by the brand. While his right eye, a shimmering pool of crimson, was intact and free of any fal'Cie markings, the familiar twinge of blindness creeping onto him, from his infected left eye, reminded him that he was still far from being fully restored.

As the days flew by after his encounter with Barthandelus inside the Narthex, and the surprising conversation would the Goddess Etro, Blaze found his body beginning to recover. Etro had shown kindness on the Project, curing the gangrene eating away at his left arm, replacing the metal copies of fingers on his right hand, left foot, and right big toe with his old flesh. He breathed a sigh of relief; it had been a long time since he saw parts of his old body return. Even Divine assistance could not completely cure Blaze, however. He walked with a slight limp, his left arm always a little bit weaker than his right, and his left eye never being able to completely focus on a certain object. The continuous thumping sound was still there, but Blaze had come to terms with the pumping organ, concluding that a being with a beating heart was bearable.

All the pain from his wounds could easily go away, however. By drawing energy from the brand seared onto his abdomen, Blaze's body would temporarily return to a state of full health. The wild, invigorating sensations felt by the power and energy surging through his veins whenever he tapped into his brands were intoxicating. The vine-shaped brand that wrapped around his arm had gone Cie'th near the end of his time in the holding cell, prior to Vanille's crystallized form being carted onto the fal'Cie, Ark. The bloomed sanguine flower that was on his palm, where the Cie'th eye lay open and awake, was the culminating point of the brand where all the black lines, shaped like thorns, wrapped around his arm.

The third and final brand, cursed upon him by the dreaded fal'Cie, Orphan, was a spiked wheel on his lower chest. Ornate in design, replicating Orphan's own golden wheel. The clocklike spikes pointed towards his upper chest, while the lower series pointed down towards his navel. Smaller red Cie'th eyes were open above all the spikes except the 6 o'clock one. In the center of the wheel, a black circle had filled the interior, where the final Cie'th eye would reveal itself once all the of spikes were completed.

The simple act of drawing energy from his brand caused it to progress further. Blaze had to use his powers warily, especially now since the metal suit limiting his powers was now a hunk of melted slag. By fighting Barthandelus, Lucy's training, and some help from the Goddess Etro, the Project had taught himself to control his powers to a higher degree. It was natural for him to be unaffected by his own powers, the clothing he had on mysteriously following suit, but now Blaze had better control over how he could amplify and expand his range heat, able to create pockets of superheated air to melt standard bullets and sear enemies.

_Enough about that..._

Blaze thought to himself, dismissing the memories from his mind. His time away from Lucas and the holding cell was nothing short of a miracle to to Blaze's decrepit brain. Fragmented shards of memories and past occurrences were showing up out of the blue. Some of them from Blaze's childhood prior to being indoctrinated and forced into becoming a Project, while others were before his first year in the prison cell. The flashbacks were strange and alien like, his brain being confused and stressed when trying to sort everything out. Of course, one of the most obvious thoughts when the memories flooded back was that Lucas' Perfect Nightmare had begun to affect his everyday actions, even when awake, past the normal hallucinations.

"_Keep your mind away from such topics, moron. You know as well as I do that brooding for hours over your past failures will only progress your brand further. Tick tock, Edgar. Tick tock."_

_I realize that, Lucy. But it is hard to do when I can only remember a little bit more than a year and some disjointed memories. I don't know if any of it is real or not. _

"_Why are you caring about this in the first place? You told me you wanted to learn more about your past and your parents, but I thought that idea was quickly banished when I showed you flashbacks of your life at thirteen right up to your fight with Barthandelus. You were never this emotional, you bastard. Are you trying to speed up the rate at which you get killed?"_

_Obviously not, Lucy, but this is my life you know. _

"_Yeah, your life, but I'm stuck in this body too. And since I am the one who is able to to give you the power to kick some serious ass, I think I should have a say in what you do. I'm only concerned for your wellbeing, Edgar. I need you to complete your goals so I can be free."_

_Regardless of that, I'm going to keep those memories locked up. I can always go back to them later. _

"_Good." Anyway, what are you even up to? My brand is thrumming slightly. _

Blaze looked down to eye his Orphan brand. A light pulsing sensation was felt when he placed a hand over it. Tossing the mirror away, he turned to head deeper into the alleyway he and Hope shared.

"_As an Eidolon I can make journeys into the Void, even when I am trapped inside your mind. I am in the middle of contacting other Eidolons and My Lady, Etro. Her other chosen will need aid soon enough."_

_Other chosen? _Blaze tugged on the open trench coat Snow had lent him when he stayed at the blonde giant's home. Blaze wanted to cover up his brand from the eyes of the public, despite knowing anyone could see the brand on his eye.

"_Project: Naga, Project: Myst, and Claire Farron had been contacted by My Lady's couriers, passing along Her message. You had received your own message a long time ago; I doubt you would remember. Anyway, I'm going to be busy with my business in the Void. You will be on your own for awhile, so don't fuck things up."_

_Sheesh, okay, mom, jeez. I would only fuck things up when you lose control. Ha-Ha. _

Blaze felt the strange sensation of Lucy's conscious becoming small and quiet. The Eidolon had done this before, but each time Blaze had the weird feeling of loneliness descend upon him. It was quite annoying. His eyes flickered to the bright sunny sky, puffs of white fluffy clouds drifting lazily by. Hope had finally finished his conversation with Lightning, the boy sliding his cell phone into a pocket on his pants. The silver-haired teenager, a man at the tender age of eighteen, slung a black bag over his shoulder, turning over to a makeshift work desk constructed from some concrete and the metal lid of a dumpster. The two were nearly ready to make their leave of the city. Blaze felt a twinge of excitement.

Hope had explained to Blaze about the location he would be leading him. Taejin's Tower, Blaze learned over mornings breakfast of some cereal bars Hope had packed, was built by the Old Pulsians or the fal'Cie, for a purpose still undetermined. The information stores inside the broken tower had seen great exposure to the outside elements, as well as the manifold varieties of beasts that roamed the nearby plateaus. The tower guardians, great statues that fought back against the fal'Cie Dahaka, had broken down. Only a few at the apex of the tower remained. This place, Blaze hoped, would be where many of his questions could be answered. The Maker, the fal'Cie, hell even something about the l'Cie could aid his efforts. Hope had explained to him that many of the Old Pulsian Analects had been taken by scientists and historians, Bandits, and Cultists.

There was not much time left to scour the world in search of everything pertaining to Blaze's cause. The redhead would have to meet the Maker and subdue Him one way or another, on top of destroying the three great beasts from his Focus. He had to slay the three beasts for his Focus, in order to stop the three from slaughtering thousands of Pulsian and Cocoon lives. This would, in turn, help Lucas with his endeavor, since the whole war was simply of attrition. Fighting the beasts would be a lengthy distraction, sufficient enough for Lucas to do some major damage, seeing as the beasts were meant to be summoned once Ark had begun its journey out of Cocoon. He had to find a way to slay the monsters and prevent Lucas from opening the Door of Souls. However, Blaze knew he would turn to crystal if he dealt with Gilgamesh, Shinryu, and Omega first.

With a diminished sigh, Blaze headed over to Hope, reaching for the black skull-and-crossbones-bandana Snow had lent him in the process. Hope slipped on his orange and yellow jacket over the black T-shirt and fixed his own green bandana wrapped around his wrist. The silver-haired kid had explained to Blaze earlier that Sazh would contact them soon to map out a proper landing zone somewhere outside the city.

"You ready, kid?" Blaze asked, cracking his neck and knuckles. While waiting for the teenager's response, the fiery haired man leaned down to tighten the laces on the boots Snow had lent him too. An eyebrow quirked when he felt the reverberations from something below him tunneling through the ground. A palm reached out to feel the dusty concrete, the vibrations tingling up his arm.

"Yep, just give me one moment to make sure I got everything we'll need for this trip..." he rambled off a list of common items one would typically use while camping or traveling long distances. Hope named a few more nonsensical items to Blaze before the Project hushed him.

"Sh! Shut up!" he whispered, flailing an arm at Hope to quiet down. A low rumbling could be heard deep within the ground. "W-Why?" he murmured, apprehensive. "Just shut up, will ya?" Blaze quietly shouted, flicking Hope's forehead with a burning finger. A breath hitched in Blaze's throat and an intense migraine rocked his mind as the tunneling sound amplified. Hope stumbled back a foot, clutching the barely noticeable burn mark on his face. "Ow!" he cried at a normal tone, eliciting an angry response from the older man. Blaze realized what was about to happen, as a similar event had occurred before.

_Fuck! Why is she here?_

"Move!" he commanded, feeling the vibrations take a detour away from the motionless man and towards Hope. But no sooner than the instructions had left his mouth, the ground already burst open, sending thick dust clouds, dirt, and large clumps of rock in every direction. A metal monster had leaped out of the wound in the earth, quickly overtaking Hope. He shrieked in shock and response, but was powerless under the mysterious creature's sturdy and firm grip. He was quickly forced into submission against the brick wall by the surprise ambush.

"God dammit, Hope!" Blaze yelled as he charged towards the metal monstrosity, his body temperature beginning to climb to superhuman levels. A fresh wave of energy from his brand surged through his veins. Clearing the distance between him and the stranger in a few short bounds, he thrust his hands onto the figure, drawing energy from his wheel brand to enhance his strength. Swiftly, he forced the armored person off of Hope. Blaze used the last of the power he drew to slam the person against the opposite brick wall in the alleyway, the armor colliding with the solid surface with a clank!

Blaze stood in front of a thoroughly shaken Hope, who panted repeatedly, out of breath. Creating a protective wall between Hope and the enemy, Blaze observed his old 'friend' that had came back to greet him. The armor covering the midsized figure was completely black; the person was shorter than the redhead, but maybe a half-inch taller than the silver-haired teenager. Not a single sign of flesh could be seen on the person, as the dark armor masked everything but the wild, dirt-ridden blonde tresses that hung down the backside of the stranger's helmet. A rusty, copper trim circled around the knees, forearms, and ribs of the armor. Three horizontal, parallel lines glowed a similar copper from her helmet, where the person's eyes were masked. Blaze knew exactly who this person was.

"Project: Terra. And here I thought it was just the morning city air that reeked of sex and jizz. Did you finally get tired of sucking Lucas' cock?"

Terra simply laughed the string of insults off, walking confidently towards the two opposite her. "Blaze, Blaze, Blaze...It seems Lucas was right about one thing. I wish you would put your armor back on, ya ugly piece o' shit." Blaze smirked, playing into the challenge.

"Speaking of shit I am sure you crap real easy now after having so many guys in you. Tch." he shook his head disappointingly. "Go back to Ark you useless, pitiful excuse for a mortal being. You were better where you belonged, locked up for all hours of the day and night. But you would probably enjoy that, huh? Having all the guys line up to take turns on you."

"You must speak from experience, Blaze. But you should really watch what you say, since you deserve to be locked up again after foolishly attempting to escape Lucas. He is relentless, but I'm sure you wouldn't know that, the stupid fuck that you are." Blaze laughed heartily, clapping his hands together at Terra's words.

"Them's be fightin' words, little girl. You know you can't take me on." he said with a cocky grin, cracking his knuckles. "We'll see about that." Terra retorted. The woman exhaled a deep, calm breath. Blaze charged her, quickly reaching her in a short few steps. He knew what she was about to do next. Charging a fireball into the palm of his right hand, he drew energy from his vine-shaped brand. The eldritch fire reflected strange glows off Terra's armor. Faster than what Blaze could comprehend, the other Project vanished.

_Fuck, she got faster!_

A small hole in the ground indicated that Terra had burrowed right beneath him. Crushing his palm against the hole in the ground, causing the crack to widen, Blaze released the fireball from his hand. Jets of flame spilled into the tunnel Terra was rapidly constructing, intent on catching up to her to cook her alive inside her armor. The ground groaned behind him, causing Blaze to spin around fast enough to glimpse a shard of rock shoot out to kill him. Blaze released another torrent of flame, mistaking the intrusion for Terra until his vision cleared. The ground moaned again, a second shard of earth erupting from the ground to Blaze's left. He turned and blasted it with fire, the rock clipping him in the shoulder, staggering him backwards. A third collided into him from behind, leaving him staggered.

Terra sprouted out of the ground, a smug, shit-eating grin on her face unseen, behind the helmet. "I'll take this," she grabbed an unconscious Hope who laid against the brick wall. "As an incentive for you to chase after me." Catching Blaze off guard, Terra vanished back under ground, Hope in her arms.

_Fucking hell! I can't let lose the kid..._

Blaze was astounded by the recent events. The only thoughts on his mind were of sheer confusion. How Terra was able to easily out maneuver him was beyond his comprehension. He shook his head and rubbed his temples, an attempt to rid himself of his dizzy vision. Rolling his shoulders, Blaze cracked his neck and shoulder blades, hearing the satisfying crack. The air around him was distorted and fuzzy due to the heat radiating off his body. Blaze kneeled to the ground, planting a hand onto the rough surface. The vibrations flowing into his arm were constant and forceful, the appendage visibly shaking. Terra was nearby still, Blaze thought to himself, which could only mean that carrying Hope was slowing her down, or she was playing games with the fiery-haired man.

He exhaled a calming, soothing breath. He cleared his head, focusing on the vibrations emanating from the ground. Trying to pinpoint an exact location was beyond his ability, but with the frequency of the shuddering ground would be able to give him an estimate on how near or far he was. The pulsing sensation was becoming less frequent, causing Blaze to dash out of the alleyway in a frenzied rush.

"Argh!" he growled, tongues of flame escaping. "Get back here you bitch!"

Apparently Terra had heard the man's plea. A large shard of rock erupted out of the pavement maybe thirty feet away from Blaze. The Project rushed to the marker as fast as his legs would take him. A second fragment blasted up from the ground a farther distance away, giving Blaze the trail he needed to follow. At the moment he reached the second boulder, the rock stirred and began to move, swimming beneath the street similar to a shark in water.

Blaze took chase to the rogue stone, weaving through the street. He noticed Terra was bringing him deeper into the heart of the city. A deep rumbling flowed through the city, an explosion of force following suit. His red eye flickered to the cloudy blue sky to see what was happening. What appeared to be falling stars plummeted down to Gran Pulse, the sounds of their collisions similar to the first.

_Oh come on! Lucas has to fucking send in his army now! Bah...Keep your cool; stay focused on finding Terra and crushing her skull. Lucas will be next. _

Returning his gaze towards rock widening the gap between him and it, Blaze hastened the pace. He quickly realized that Terra was going to travel slow enough for him to see the rock and follow it, but fast enough to never catch up. A fresh wave of energy from his brand washed over him, reinvigorating his pumping legs. However, the rock abruptly stopped at the corner of the next block, and sunk back into the ground. Nearly tripping over himself, Blaze skidded to a stop, faint scorch marks from his feet evident.

_All that running really increased my body temperature..._

Recovering from the chase, Blaze exhaled and looked at the structure Terra had stopped. The establishment was dark from the outside, a 'Closed' posted hanging by a string on the knob of its glass doors. The neon sign above the place, now shut off, labeled the place as 'Halluci-Jen's Den.' Blaze shook his head in obvious disappointment.

"Leave it to Terra to stop at a strip-club. On the other hand, though, it is only obvious she would. To think these Gran Pulse people would need one of these, but, based off of Terra's theory, sex does sell."

Blaze cracked his knuckles and made his way into the building. He really needed to stop talking to himself openly like that. The glass shuddered and glowed a vibrant orange, the knob beginning to liquify in his grasp. His palms superheated his grasp, disregarding the flimsy lock. He left the door open as he trudged through the nightclub.

The place was fairly large, unknowingly more so due to the lack of proper light. Circular tables littered the leftmost section of the building, stools standing upside-down above them. A bar was further back, the counter long in order to serve multiple patrons. A manifold variety of liquor and alcohol were neatly organized on shelves behind the counter. To the right, a wide dance floor dominated. A disk-jockey's stand before a large screen. A numerous amount of motionless disco balls were attached to the ceiling. In the center there were smaller tables for one or two patrons with tall stripper poles emerging from the middle. A raised platform even farther back T-forked, where all the exotic dancers would be showcased.

Blaze finished scanning his surroundings, trying to discern Terra and Hope's location. The place looked empty and undisturbed. A quick feeling of the ground gave off zero vibrations, meaning that Terra had either stopped, left the sanctity of the ground, or had tricked Blaze the entire time, leading him off on a wild goose chase. He really hoped it wasn't the latter.

A few additional steps caused a spotlight to appear on the raised platform. In its conical gaze, a hunched figure tied to a chair was illuminated. Hope. The boy was still unconscious, as he wasn't struggling against his bondage. Before another step could be taken, Terra burst from from the ground. Once more, Blaze was caught unaware by the sudden attack, their collision resulting in Blaze stumbling backwards. His back hit into a table, knocking a chair over. Through his eyes, he could make out the faint outline of the stripper pole against his head. Looking forward, he could see the copper glow from Terra's armor stomping over to him. Terra laughed, albeit muffled through her armor, but satisfied.

"I remember when Maria first pitted us to spar against each other, Blaze." she began, closing in on him. A flick of her wrist caused a fragment of rock to shoot out of the ground into the table below him, the force splitting the furniture. In one fluid motion, the boulder slammed the portion of table Blaze had landed on upwards. His body flipped with the table, smashing into the stripper pole.

"Even with your suit on, you kicked my ass. Try as I might I couldn't even touch you." A second flick of the wrist had the boulder recede into the ground, easing Blaze against the remaining chunk of table.

"You told me I was worthless, pathetic. To a point, I agreed with you. I had no memory of my past life, no real purpose. Lucas told all of us that you were built to be superior. You told me in time my powers would progress, and you were most certainly correct." she laughed and stood above Blaze. The boulder slowly nudged him upright, where other slags of the earth restrained his arms and legs, forcing him to look at their mistress.

"But look at you now. Weak, easily brought to submission, and making chump deals with the fucking humans! I should kill you right now..." she trailed on, smacking Blaze's cheek with her armored forearm. He spat out some blood and tried to adjust his jaw.

"Then why don't you...? Scared that Lucas might give you a spanking and a time out for being a bad girl? Then again, you would want that, wouldn't you?" He received another smack to the face. "Even though I would love to deliver the finishing blow to a fucking waste of space like, Lucas needs you to complete this blasted Focus. However I'm sure he has a few things in mind that would leave you begging for a quick death." she grinned through the helmet.

_Blood...My blood...Excellent._

Blaze looked at the rivulets of crimson that flowed down his chin and dripped onto the floor. Usually he would get nervous at times like these, the sight of his own blood making him do strange bodily harm to himself. But this was just the motivation he needed.

"Ya know why I quickly took you down earlier and just now? I bet you're surprised about how you were defeated with such ease. I'll give you one good reason." she started, rising one finger to Blaze's eye level. "You are just too goddamn stupid. I outsmarted you, retard." she laughed and bashed her fist into the side of Blaze's face, releasing more blood. He grunted in pain, but laughed defiantly.

"That is true. You outsmarted me back there, overwhelming me with too many targets. I'm rusty, Terra, the last time I trained was before Myst was carted into my holding cell." he choked out in between spitting sanguine. He tested the rocks restraining him. He couldn't melt through them anytime soon. "But I am still more powerful than you ever will be." he exclaimed, a cocky grin on his face.

"Shut up." Terra commanded, a pillar of earth erupting from the ground, ramming into Blaze's chin to keep his jaw from opening. The man grunted in pain, blood coating his lips and mouth. "I can't kill you, but I'll make you watch me kill the kid you so desp—"

"Raah!" Blaze roared, interrupting Terra. A faint image of a skull shimmered around his face. His body burst into flames, the surge of energy shattering his restraints. Quickly getting to his feet he rammed into Terra in a running tackle. Keeping the copper armored woman locked in his arms, Blaze let loose jets of hot fire from his palms and mouth, coupled with the searing inferno wreathing his body. An animalistic screech of pain and terror escaped from Terra, her body being slammed into the wall across the club, jammed between Blaze and the wall.

_Lucy! Dues ex Machina! When did you come back?_

"_I've been here for awhile. Since you entered the strip club actually."_

_You fucking bitch! You watched me nearly get killed!_

"_Yup. Now shut up and let me do the talking."_

Blaze was panting heavily, plumes of fire swallowed by the bonfire. He laughed whole-heartily, superheating his palms against the establishments foundation. "Enjoying yourself, Terra?" he sniffed the air, a cheshire grin forming on his lips. "Smells like chicken." he mentioned, his tone wicked and dark. The woman was literally being cooked alive inside her melting armor. She struggled and screamed but could not escape Blaze's iron grip.

"G-Goliath! Arise! H-Help me!" Terra choked out. Her brand glowed a vibrant, yet muddy copper. Waves of energy were released from her Orphan brand, shining beneath the remnants of her armor. A small crystal, an Eidolinth, appeared from the woman's brand, sinking into the earth.

_An Eidolon?_

"_Fuck that. I'm killing her."_

The ground beneath the pair flashed a bright light, but Blaze paid it no heed. In a swift motion, the Project conjured a fireball into his hand, concentrated it and poured more energy into the magic, and shrunk it. He focused the fire into one tiny point of singularity, enveloping his fist over the fireball. Thrusting his fist, he punched Terra's helmet, his own brands glowing. He opened his hand, clenching her head around his fingers and pushed his palm into her face. The concentrated fireball exploded with intense ferocity.

The ground stopped flaring so brightly, and when the smoke and wreckage cleared, Project: Terra was no more.

An hour or so passed by. Blaze remained slumped against the wall of the club, resting. His attack had destroyed a decent chunk of the structure, as well as decrease his life span by another two months. The ground shook with each impact from the bombings and PSICOM's drop pods. If Terra was here in New Bodhum, and PSICOM was attacking, then Geist and Genesis might be here as well, Blaze concluded. Maybe he'd get lucky and find Lucas too.

Hope stirred in his seat.

* * *

**Well, there ya have it. The finale to Act 2 is coming up next. Blaze and Hope fight their way through the warring city! Lightning meets up with Snow and Team NORA to secure Serah and defend the city! Lastly, the main antagonist, Lucas, makes his second debut!**

**Until next time,**

**Journey**


	16. Chapter 14P1

**Here we are, dear ol' friends! The full chapter of the first part of the Act II final! Whew! It took me forever to do this. Still, I loved writing Blaze's section. Lightning gets a bit more action in the second part of the finale, however. So if you're not too fond of my OC then you have that to look forward to. I hope you guys and girls enjoy, it was a pleasure for me to write this. Obviously, reviews would be appreciated for those who got this far. **

**Awake**

**Chapter Fourteen: When fal'Cie Dream**

**Part One**

* * *

Lightning stared longingly at Knight's airship as it sped off and out of sight. The situation in New Bodhum was tense; PSICOM employed frequent bombing runs upon the metropolis, attempting to cripple the city's confused and surprised military. Having faced the opposition more times than once, Lightning knew how dire the consequences of losing would be. PSICOM may have its superior numbers and technology, but the army was fighting on unknown territory this time.

Gran Pulse would not surrender so easily. Neither would she _nor _the Guardian Corps.

As Knight's airship vanished behind a thick column of smoke deeper into the city's heart, Lightning formulated her plan of action. The first was most obvious: find cover. C.H.E.S.S. had dropped the strawberry blonde off in the warehouse district of New Bodhum. The borough was used for storage of all types of imports and exports, lying on the outer fringes of the city. Out of simplicity the district was built using a grid system, a network of overlapping roads and avenues separated by dividing bridges for ships to pass through.

Knight left her behind the drab, gray building of Warehouse #20H, near the very end of the warehouse district itself. Cover for Lightning to utilize was easy, the warehouse district was the least damaged by PSICOM forces, making it an easy spot to land. The soldier girl knew she would be safer behind the building than inside, avoiding the danger of a building collapse if under attack. Similar to the other concrete structures, the graffiti art covering Warehouse #20H was evident, the bright neon green streaks of paint depicting various pictures and statements that Lightning neither cared to look at nor find meaning towards.

A solemn expression was worn on her face. Lightning would always fight if she was brought to the point of doing so, but this was something on an entirely different scale. With only her trusty gunblade in hand, her Blazefire Saber, Lightning could not rely upon her abilities as a l'Cie. Three years had passed since the whole ordeal, the disappearance of her brand to prove it. She had the fear factor and magic of a l'Cie to aid her in fights on Cocoon, however on Gran Pulse she was only human. To the soldier girl, her manadrives were her l'Cie magic, her gunblade her fear factor.

PSICOM soldiers were nothing to discredit though, she reminded herself. The rookies might be a little wet behind the ears, probably still afraid of Gran Pulse propaganda Cocoon was force feeding its inhabitants. But once the higher ups hit the field, the executive officers and their machinations, it was game over.

The next step of her plan was to get her bearings inside the city. Lightning pictured a layout of New Bodhum in her head, fingers tapping against the gleaming metal surface of her Blazefire Saber on instinct. She was in the warehouse district which made up the southern part of the city. Back in Knight's airship, the soldier girl noticed most of the bombing runs were made along the northern districts and the western waterfront. The faint rumbling explosions and tiny trembles of the ground evidence of how far the fight was.

Thick black clouds of smoke were ascending from the canopy of skyscrapers in the distance, meaning widespread fires were breaking out. The warehouse district was seemingly untouched so far, but like Paddra, Lightning knew PSICOM would make a full sweep of the city, not leaving a single rock unturned. The closest district to her was the trading centers, its vast marketplaces and crafting terraces dotting each block. It was there for the convenient location of the warehouse district. Supplies would definitely be able to be found, Lightning thought to herself. But that was opposite of where she wanted to go. She began to walk along Warehouse #20H, peeking around the empty side-street like a mouse coming out of its hole.

Supplies and ammunition would be important, as her Blazefire Saber only stocked a few clips of ammo and five manadrives. But that would have to wait, as the third part of Lightning's plan was to be completed first. Serah's safety. She could not just leave her with that giant oaf of a man, even if he had Lebreau, Gadot, Maqui, and Yuj to back him up. The strawberry blonde crossed the street and proceeded north, eyes darting at the various roads that branched off the main street, wary of any enemy infiltrators.

_**BOOM!**_

A particularly loud explosion left her reeling back along the side of Warehouse #19D, Lightning's legs wobbly from the shockwaves. Each bomb set off by PSICOM seemed to solidify the situation in her mind. She had arrived to Paddra during its final hours, the thoroughly wrecked city on the verge of total collapse until after she had escaped safely inside Knight's airship. This time the soldier girl was here since the the initial strikes, the prospective of war exciting and blood-pumping. It wasn't a new sensation, the familiar tremble of her eye or squeeze on the hilt of her gunblade as adrenaline surged through body.

_A target's a target..._The thought stimulating Lightning further.

She was a Cocoon-bred soldier born for fighting. The soldier girl would fight until the Goddess Etro came down to claim her. The protection and wellbeing of her younger sister the prime motivation to continue onwards. Especially when Serah was only in the care of Snow for now.

The vibrating sounds of PSICOM shock troops buzzing through the sky sent Lightning crouched against the shadow of Warehouse #18A. The reverberating motion of the engine in their hoversuits masked the pair's conversation as they slowed their pace. A breath hitched in Lightning's throat, flattening herself further against the concrete in hopes she had lost the soldiers. With her gunblade already loaded, the thought of killing them now popped into her head.

The soldiers were so close to Lightning, her eyes making out the pair's uniforms. It was PSICOM standard combat armor, outfitted to work on aerial troopers. They were spinning left and right, snapping towards each of the side-streets with their guns locked and loaded. The two were adamant on finding who they were looking for, Lightning thought to herself, raising her gunblade inch by agonizingly slow inch to not draw attention. She thanked the Maker for casting such a long shadow for her to hide in.

It was, for the briefest of moments, that Lightning would lock eyes with one of the hovering soldiers. The helmet obscured the man's eyes just as the shadow masked her own azure orbs, but the intimate bond between shooter and target was made. The single clarifying moment of realization where ones efforts were meaningless, ending in an instant. Down the sights of the barrel, observing your target you build a relationship unlike any before. The blossoming sensation of power welling inside you, the ability to end a person's life in the blink of an eye before they could even possibly react.

That high one receives at that very moment is more addictive to the weak-willed than any drug, the adrenaline coursing through your veins.

It all comes and goes within the spaces between seconds, and Lightning pulls the trigger before the PSICOM Aerial Shock Troop could even open his mouth to utter an alarm. Her aim was true and the bullet precise. The soldier's body was limp in the confines of his hoversuit, his hands releasing the grip of his firearm. His friend snapped to attention, spouting nonsense that was only lost beneath the motor's roar. The intimate bond was not formed between Lightning and the second soldier, the strawberry blonde ending his life before realization struck.

It was all seamless to her, the act of killing complete strangers not phasing the strawberry blonde in the least. The stone-cold soldier facade she constructed years ago stood strong. The mindset Lightning was in called for it; she and Serah were both young teenagers at the time of their parent's death, leaving the older sister to care for the younger. The harsh reality had set in early for Lightning. People died and there was no denying that nor changing that. The only way to cope was for her to move forward and remain strong for Serah's sake.

The two dead soldiers, hovering mindlessly above her in the sky, meant nothing to her. Each enemy she faced were mere obstacles along the path to Serah, nothing could stop Lightning. They were her enemies after all, remorse was not needed as they would have killed her without a second thought as she did. Still, Lightning thought to herself, the PSICOM troops could be useful. Those hoversuits looked very enticing...

"Bah..." Lightning muttered to herself, fumbling with the confusing web of buckles and straps necessary to don the hoversuit she had 'borrowed' from one of the dead soldiers. She had already taken what ammo she could find, even managing to scavenge a Curasa manadrive. Tightening the strips of leather across her waist and chest, firmly pressing the locking mechanisms, and connecting the interlocking shoulder plates finished the ensemble.

It was at that moment when Lightning discovered she had never flown in a hoversuit before, the user interface screen text looking like it was written in an entirely different language. She figured they operated simply enough when she eyed a big green button on her right shoulder pad, but the UI was spouting something about the unbalanced gyroscopic thrusters and the offline missile targeting system.

Throwing caution to the wind, her fist pounded against the giant green button, the rockets flaring powerfully. A mighty leap lifting Lightning into the air. Wobbling, shaking, and gliding nearly lopsided, Lightning slowly drifted higher into the air. The warehouses were never built higher than three stories, so the strawberry blonde could quickly see the maze of similarly looking buildings spread out in each direction.

The great Archylte Lake washed along the docks of the trade centers, its waters flowing into the city via a network of connected canals. In the distance, Lightning spied the smog emanating from massive breaches in different skyscrapers. She clenched a fist, watching helplessly as an office building was sent toppling to the ground. The display ended in a great cacophony of steel girders slamming into the ground, the concrete shattering upon impact, and torrents of glass showering down upon whomever was in the area. The erupting shockwave rattled the ground like one of Titan's angry roars.

Gaining some further control over the hoversuit, Lightning wandered off. The faint blips of PSICOM's airships circled the city miles overhead, periodically releasing a packet of bombs upon strategically important buildings. The army had already knocked out cell phone and other similar communications, a tactic that was employed in Paddra. Radio towers were being destroyed one by one this time, however, dashing any hope of contacting Serah or Hope. Lightning could only imagine the fate of the younger man. She swallowed a sad knot in her throat, silently apologizing to him for not being able to save him first.

_The commercial and political districts have already seen the most destruction, I need to work my way quickly to the housing district._

A sensory observation of the borough in question relieved some of Lightning's stress. The area still was not safe, isolated battles between PSICOM and the Guardian Corps scattered throughout the place, but no heavy artillery was used yet. Orions darted from street to street, tiny electric ants at Lightning's elevation. Her hand clutched the hilt of her Blazefire Saber tightly, the effortless method to take down one of the machines easily coming back to mind.

Closer to her location, however, Lightning spotted a cluster of Guardian Corps soldiers buzzing around a secure perimeter. They must have cleared the area, she thought to herself, beginning the journey downwards. The soldier girl had only been lazily drifting north for a few minutes to analyze her situation. The city could still be saved, but the fate of thousands rested on her shoulders, the thought sending a shiver through her body. Lightning wasn't fond of so much pressure, when every move she took had great repercussions.

The sounds of a firefight were evident, however. She was able to discern the formation of soldiers lined up to hold back waves of mechanized peacekeepers. Those enemies were only Cocoon expendables, controlled by PSICOM soldiers safely away from the actual fight. They were nothing like the natural creatures they were modeled after here on Gran Pulse. Despite this, sheer numbers would eventually bear down upon an experienced task force. The company of soldiers held down the area, slowly moving into the apartment district in hopes of aiding the exhausted Guardian Corps.

They couldn't spread wide enough to gate the entire warehouse district, however. Lightning began to notice small packs of Adamantherons and Thexterons scouring the barren streets. The strawberry blonde presumed the Guardian Corps had already taken care of evacuating any of the laborers here for their safety. The large, lion-like creatures shined in the afternoon sun, their metal skin glowing. Together, the synapse between the creatures grew strong, becoming a collective group of artificial intelligence for PSICOM to utilize.

They were still targets to Lightning, relatively weak ones at that. Speeding by in her hoversuit, Lightning picked off members of various packs one by one, unable to be counterattacked from her height advantage. She couldn't waste all of her ammunition on such easy prey, eventually descending not so gracefully to the ground to fight them on foot. An unlucky swipe from an Adamantheron clipped the hoversuit's rear motor, sending Lightning spinning off balance until she crashed to the ground.

The snarling mechanized cats surrounded the soldier girl, jumping in every so often to sneak in a claw or bite. Lightning was quick on her feet, swinging her gunblade in wide arcs to deftly take out her foes. The armored assaulters took longer to drop than mere men, but her Blazefire Saber cleaved through their metal skin just the same.

_Whew..._

Lightning raced past block after block to reach the Guardian Corps operations site near Warehouse #13C. The Pantherons continuously ambushed her, the strawberry blonde leaving a trail of metal scraps and the dying cries of machines in her wake.

Lightning was relieved when the secured perimeter was finally in plain sight. She only managed a few scraps from the peacekeepers, suffering more bruises from her crash landing. She flagged a few soldiers from far away, waving to grab their attention. Cracking her neck and brushing off some dirt that was staining her jacket, Lightning carried onwards, walking calm, cool, and collected into the temporary base. She needed a report of the situation.

"Halt!" one of the soldiers commanded, him and another soldier rushing over to confront Lightning. Their weapons were raised in cautious determination, yet the laser sights were turned off. "Name and occupation, ma'am." his buddy said, lowering the firearm to show he meant no harm. It was all typical Guardian Corps procedure, Lightning knew. Yet it seemed that the two soldiers were rather blind inside their armor, or too dense to realize the Sergeant's Shoulder guard on her.

"Farron." she simply replied, continuing to walk towards the makeshift base camp and past the two guards interrogating her. Lightning figured that would be all that they needed from her to get by and leave her be. Unfortunately, she was wrong.

"Halt! Without proper identification we cannot escort you safely to the evacuation hub. I'll say it again, name and occupation. Full name this time." the first soldier ordered, raising his gun. The two were obviously serious about the matter, racing to catch up to the strawberry blonde. Lightning sighed, fingers tapping the hilt of her Blazefire Saber. She would really have to complain to General Amodar to get some damn recognition.

"Stand down, Privates!" the firm and steady voice of General Amodar instructed to the two soldiers badgering Lightning, the devil himself jogging over to meet her.

The tall bulky man had his own rifle slung over his shoulder, a smirk plastered on his face as he eyed Lightning's look of annoyance and distaste. Immediately he could discern her troubles. He looked older every time Lightning saw him; the lines on his forehead, signs of drooping bags under his eyes, a slight limp in his step. While not too thrilled to be such a high ranking military officer, leading the Republic's army himself, Amodar was succumbing to the exhaustion and stress bearing heavily down upon his shoulders. But the man lived for his work, and honestly Lightning could not imagine her superior anywhere else than the front lines helping and coordinating his subordinates.

The military combat uniform customary for him was ragged and torn in certain areas. Strips of fabric were used to cover up wounds around his arms. Pride for Amodar swelled within her; her General was always like that, denying a medic to fight on instead. He was the morale of the company, his troops would follow him to Hell and back.

"C.H.E.S.S. Commander Lightning Farron," Amodar began, finally reaching the trio. The three saluted, but were quickly brushed off with a wave of his hand. "It's good to see you here, we can use all the help we can muster." Lightning could see the faintest signs of a chuckle form on the General's features, but saw him stop it before it began. No time to be funny now.

"General Amodar." Lightning said respectfully, nodding to the wise older man. The rumbling shockwave of another explosion sent the ground shaking, clouds of dust invading. The pair suppressed a grimace; the blast was closer to them now.

"Jenkins, Aleck, head back to the front gates and help Kuwalsky." he ordered, referring to the two soldiers bordering her. The two dutifully affirmed, marching away. The General knew Lightning's question before she was even able to ask.

"PSICOM has been hammering us on all sides," he began, rubbing the back of his neck. "We evacuated much of the poorer parts of the apartment district, and have the higher terraces protected, but we simply do not have the manpower to hold them off forever."

Lightning swallowed a dreadful knot in her throat. The two began walking into the base camp. "There's a good chance that Serah's still in there. But we've—"

Immediately after the words registered in her brain Lightning rocketed past General Amodar in mid-sentence, having no regards for the Guardian Corps soldiers she bumped into or knocked over. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed the General and a few other soldiers rushing after her, shouting nonsense. She hardly noticed the gap between the strips of metal used as ramshackle cover, the two sides trading bullets every so often. As she had seen before, the fights were mostly isolated to separate sections of the districts. The platoon of PSICOM soldiers holding their side of the connecting bridge shot desperately at the Guardian Corps.

General Amodar's company of troops could easily overtake the smaller enemy force on the fringes of the warehouse district, yet the opposing army had secured the tactical advantage. The bridge was narrow, long, and barren of anything that could be used as cover. A venerable No-Man's Land of sorts, either side that dare advance would get shot to pieces.

"There we go..." she exhaled in slight relief. Lightning spotted the only way across. Conveniently tossed carelessly into a heap were Aquila Velocycles. The soldier girl didn't have too much experience with the hovering vehicles, but had seen how they worked before. Besides, it would be shameful if she couldn't drive this when she piloted a hoversuit earlier today. When she finally heaved one of the vehicles into an upright position, General Amodar reached her.

"L...Lightning..." the older man wheezed, not fit to running too vigorously after hours of combat. The soldier girl swung a leg across the Velocycle's interior, sliding into place at the driver's seat. "Don't try and stop me." she responded plainly, testing the acceleration drives with her feet. With everything up to decent code she flipped the switch to ignite the thrusters, the vehicle lifting not so elegantly upwards a few feet in the air.

"After all those years of service together you'd think I would try and stop you, huh Farron?" he said with a hearty grin. A bear paw reached out to grip the strawberry blonde's shoulder, instilling confidence inside her. Lightning quirked an eyebrow, but then shook her head knowingly. "Thank you." she whispered, revving the engine.

"Don't mention it." Looking into her steel blue eyes, General Amodar could see the fire of determination ignite inside her. He smiled inwardly, proud to see his protege come so far. The battle-hardened man knew from the beginning what he would be getting into when Lightning entered the fray. The strawberry blonde was the best rookie to ever walk into the Guardian Corps, hardly surprised to see her advance through the ranks faster than he did. Lightning exhibited the courage and drive to that made her a model soldier.

Lightning gave the General one last look of reassurance. "Seriously, don't mention it. If the Privates find out about this they'll start scheming." a cheerful laugh finally broke through the unfitting wall Amodar had erected. Lightning couldn't help but smile, finding it more suiting for the man to be smiling rather than be too serious.

"And one last thing before you go, Farron." he began, swiftly spinning on his heel. "When I retire, you're taking my job!"

Lightning sped off, barreling through the mock blockade the PSICOM soldiers hastily constructed. It was shoddy craftsmanship, the Velocycle easily toppling the cover with a burst of machine gun fire. Soldiers were sent scrambling in all directions to evade the charging Velocycle. The daring assault easily broke up their hold on the bridge, allowing General Amodar and his Guardian Corps to move forward. They would be needed elsewhere.

As Lightning raced through the apartment district, the path to home guiding her way, she could not help but feel the sinking feeling of dread. It coiled deep in her stomach, urging her to step harder on the acceleration drive. The scattered PSICOM soldiers here and there were mowed down by the vehicle's machine guns. It didn't distract her from developing every single possible scenario in her head as she neared her house. Serah would be in there, safe with Snow, or hopefully had been evacuated with some of the other civilians before the General's troops were pushed out.

If Serah's unknown fate did not unnerve Lightning, then it was the survivors that did. During the Purge on Cocoon, escapees were to be shot immediately. This, however, paled in comparison. The hidden extermination of Purge detainee's was a shocking lie, by the atrocities PSICOM had committed against defenseless citizens was sickening. Homes were raided, shards of glass littering the streets from broken windows. Passing by one in particular, Lightning could see the interior was ransacked. The home was stripped bare or what possessions the person who lived here owned were destroyed beyond recognition.

It was pure barbaric cruelty.

Trails of blood lead into side streets and alleyways, the bodies dragged away and shipped skywards to Cocoon. Bodies that weren't taken were piled on any seemingly convenient location. The faces on them were all the same. Shocked, frightened, or even angry. The unarmed denizens of New Bodhum were defenseless against the onslaught of Lucas' army.

The dread and paranoia only sunk deeper, wishing the Velocycle would go faster. War was not new for Lightning. Her time as a l'Cie before and fighting in Paddra refreshed her memory. She was a fighting spirit since her days as a teenager; it made no difference what she felt before she killed. The soldier girl had to live with that fact though, knowing that each life she took away she was hurting others beyond the physical spectrum. Lightning would have to live with the fact that, as all other soldiers are, she is irredeemable. Her sins were far too numerous, with only more to come. In a way one could view Lightning as the martyr, willingly letting herself walk down the darkened path in order to protect those close to her.

But she couldn't use that to justify that what she was doing was humane nor appropriate. As a soldier, she had to do what had to be done. Orders were orders, after all. Even though PSICOM had jumped off the deep end, descending into mindless bloodshed and scare tactics while she and the Guardian Corps remained level-headed and tactical, the line was thin. Her superiors, Bartholomew and General Amodar simply told her to point and shoot the assigned target. Without their supervision, couldn't Lightning repay PSICOM the favor?

It was a shuddering, bone-chilling thought; how easily her mind could lose balance and fall into the abyss. The strawberry blonde was supposed to be one of the good guys, but could only criticize herself when she couldn't save everybody.

The sigh of relief finally came. Rounding the final bend, Lightning reached home.

The house she shared with Serah and Snow was battered and beaten up, but relatively intact. Cars were sandwiched against the garage entrance, barring passage. Knowing Snow, the blonde probably had the front and back doors bordered up too to keep PSICOM out. At this point it was too dangerous to go out and roam the streets. Lightning could hear multiple loud voices from inside the house. It would be of no surprise to the soldier girl if Serah had brought in a few of their neighbors for refuge.

Cars lined the lawn where the grass met the pavement. Supplemented by storage crates taken from the neighbors' houses, a wall was hastily built around the small house. This area of the apartment district was actually for houses, all similarly designed. The defensive structure looked relatively sound against small arms, but would not stand a chance against artillery. Parking her Velocycle outside the wall, she was noticed by Lebreau before she could see the member of Team NORA.

"Light! Hey, Light!" the bartender shouted, drawing confused responses from her fellow teammates. "Lightning! We're over here!" Lightning saw the brunette emerge from the interior of the wall, rifle in hand. The wind whipped both of their hair around.

"Hey, is that?"

"Nah, it couldn't be..."

"Well, is she?"

The various members of Team NORA were all talking at once as they too appeared from the inside the wall towards Lebreau and Lightning. The brunette had a welcoming hand on the strawberry blonde's shoulder, saying words of reassurance to her. Serah was safe inside the house. Gadot, Maqui, and Yuj burst into wild grins and laughter as their suspicions were confirmed.

"A~lright!" Gadot cheered, pumping his fist into the air. Lightning quirked a slender pink eyebrow. "With you here we can't lose!" Yuj and Maqui shared the tanned giant's enthusiasm to a lesser degree, shaking their hands knowingly.

"You have that high hopes in me?" the soldier girl asked, a slight smirked on her lips, her arms crossed under her chest.

"You bet we do!" Yuj exclaimed, running a hand through his wavy blue locks.

"Don't be so humble, Light." Lebreau added, patting her on the shoulder.

"With Snow injured we need you more than ever, Lightning!" Maqui piped up, revealing a shaky grin.

A breath hitched in her throat as the group began walking back to the safety of the makeshift wall. Besides the continuous bombing near the heart of New Bodhum and the gunshots echoing in the distance, the street was clear of anyone.

"How bad is it?" she inquired, nearing the front porch.

"Don't worry 'bout it." Gadot instructed, opening the red door to the house.

"Snow's pretty hard headed, I won't be surprised if he's back on his feet already." he finished, the others marching in. Lightning gaze Lebreau a mildly concerned look, whom only returned it. "Snow got clipped by some shadowy bastard." she said.

"Shadowy...Bastard?" Lightning asked, watching as Yuj, Maqui, and Gadot detached themselves to check on the others in the house.

The soldier girl looked around, noticing many strange people she had hardly met before lying in the living room. An elderly man was wrapped up in a blanket on the plush, wine red couch. On the opposite couch, three shaken children were talking quietly to each other, their eyes following Lightning as she entered the room. Bags were strewn out along the floor.

"Yeah," Lebreau said, heading into the kitchen. "Shoulda' seen the guy. He was leaping around on all fours like some crazy hopped up spider. Punched Snow right in the gut with a claw and ran off." the brunette turned her back against Lightning, opening the fridge absentmindedly.

"Where is he now?" Lightning walked past the living room and leaned against the counter built into the kitchen. Lebreau sat herself on a stool, pouring herself a glass of iced tea. She eagerly guzzled the amber liquid down, a finger raised in the air to tell Lightning to wait. With a satisfying 'ah' of relief, Lebreau set down her glass and looked back at the strawberry blonde.

"The big lug is in your sister's room." Lebreau jutted her chin out in the direction of Serah's room.

"His nurse tending to his wounds." she said with a hearty chuckle. Lightning shook her head no.

"I meant the assailant. The guy who attacked Snow."

"Oh~" Lebreau replied and shrugged. "He ran off, Gadot thinks he scared him off." Lightning's eyes widened at the statement. The soldier in her screamed for her body to break into action. Her hand gripped the hilt of her gunblade, easing herself off the wall she leant against. Her eyes snapped across the room, scanning the house. The attacker could be anywhere.

"What do you mean that he ran off. He physically ran out the door?" she demanded, pacing around the room. Her extensive knowledge of PSICOM's armory turned up inconclusive, especially since they never run from a fight.

Lebreau hummed. "Well now that you think of it, he more vanished than actually walked out. He faded into the wall."

Lightning cursed her naivety. The bartender was wise and mature beyond her years, definitely the person one would go to if you needed advice or just someone to listen. But the brunette seemed to exhibit a blatant obliviousness to things going around her if they didn't pertain to her interests. Lebreau was more in tune to gossip, enjoying the role as the match maker.

"Well get your ass in gear!" Lightning commanded, a gloved fist slamming against the counter, startling the bartender.

"Let's go look for him!" The house was silent, the children from the living room observing the two woman.

A door opened down the hall, Serah exiting, noticing Lightning in the kitchen. "Claire!" she shouted in joy, tackling her older sister in a tight hug. The older Farron was reluctant at first, being in public, but wrapped her arms around Serah, relief in her mind knowing she was safe.

"Aww, what a touching moment." a voice said.

"Who could be so cold and heartless as to break up something so tender and innocent? Oh right, I~~am!" the sing-song voice spoke up, startling everyone.

Lightning's head snapped to what was behind her, feeling a metal finger touch her shoulder. The thing was eerily familiar, covered in head to toe in black metal armor. A translucent tube extended from the base of his spine to the back of his neck. Deep purple trim around the forearms, ribs, and knees. Three horizontal parallel lines of glowing purple on the helmet. A clawed gauntlet was attached to both of his, the voice now recognizably male, hands. Sharpened metal prongs, the claws themselves, extended from the gauntlet, looking menacingly sharp.

_A Project..._

Lightning could sense the metal monstrosity grinning through his suit. "Best to run now, dearies." he said, drinking in everyone's shocked and alarmed expressions. Serah wormed her way out of Lightning's embrace, the elder Farron dividing her from the stranger. Snow lumbered out of his room, leaning heavily against the wall for support, his face twisted in anguish when he saw the return of his enemy.

"Get him outside!" Snow cried, coughing up blood. Serah rushed to his aid, the Project not even budging.

"So eager to die, huh? I'm sure that I—Uh..." the Project said, interrupted by Lightning's gunblade unsheathed and pointing right at his head.

"Who are you." she asked, her voice stern and calm.

"PSICOM Special Development Division, bio-mechanically engineered prototype soldier under jurisdiction by Director Lucas Lynch. Project: Geist."

"H-How'd you get in here?" one of the children stuttered. The Project chuckled.

"Good question. Your friend here was right, pinky." referring to Lebreau with a pointed finger. "I vanished by sinking into the ground and becoming a shadow. That's my favorite ability."

Lightning was done with the conversation. She lunged forward, thrusting her arm to stab Geist. The Project was quick, however, and side stepped the attack, rushing in to jab at Lightning's open stomach. It was then that Gadot made his move. Screaming like a madman, he charged the metal man. Colliding into him with extreme force, the tan muscle-bound man shoved Geist all the way out of the house. The strawberry blonde was on him in a flash, the others slow to follow.

Her attacks proved fruitless, as Geist swiveled unnaturally out of the way to avoid her strikes. He snapped his bones to crawl out and around Lightning, ramming into her chest full on. The soldier girl grunted, the unusual attack catching her by surprise. She had distanced herself from him though, allowing Lebreau and the others to open fire on the Project. The hail of gunfire enveloped Geist, knocking him to the ground. There was blood seeping through the dark plates, but she knew he was far from done.

"You're no l'Cie. You're but worthless mortals." he laughed, challenging them.

"What hope do you have to defeat me?" his sing-song voice was taunting them all, with only succeeded in angering Gadot.

"Don't even talk, Bucket Brain! Another step and your done!" His gun was poised in position, sights on the Project.

"Ha-ha. What makes you think you can beat me?" Geist asked, sinking into the ground as if it was a daily occurrence. The Project was true to his words, becoming a shadow on the ground. The ghostly apparition gliding towards the safety of the house, the sun casting a large shadow around the perimeter.

"Well for starters," Lightning spoke up, scanning the shadows beneath her and the others. "You're clearly out numbered five to one."

A silhouette darted between two trees, a laugh echoing all around them. "Yet you're clearly outmatched!" Geist replied, repeating Lightning's words in Paddra. The shadow materialized quickly, the Project slamming into Yuj with voracious tenacity.

"Get...him...off...me!" the blue haired man cried, quickly being taken to the ground as Geist smashed into him. The others charged him, Gadot once again smacking into the metal man. The armored figure did not move this time from the impact, preferring to ignore Yuj and swipe a metal claw across Gadot's chest in one swift fluid motion.

A powerful kick from Lightning sent Geist off him, following up with a flurry of sword strikes. With her speed, many of her attacks struck true, deepening the gashes. Yet the Project had the strangest ability to twist and contort his body beyond what was physically possible, dodging attacks. Blindingly fast, Geist went on the offensive. He took the next swing from her gunblade, grabbing her arm and pulling her close. The blood seeping from his wounds stained her as he tightened his constricting hold.

"Nighty night, pinky." Geist said, his silvery claws gingerly touching Lightning's smooth neck.

The sharp ligaments pinpricked the supple flesh, leaving tiny dots in their wake. The soldier girl wasn't done, however. She certainly would not let any PSICOM goon get the best of her. She let loose a frustrated growl, squirming away from Geist's claws. The Project apparently found it to be cute, cupping her chin and directing her head towards him. Lightning stared into the glowing purple lines across his helmet, unable to see his eyes from within the suit.

"Shh..." he whispered, tracing circles on Lightning's cheeks.

She spat at him, marring the otherwise fine suit of black armor. From her peripheral she could see Lebreau, Gadot, and the others with their guns trained on the Project. They were shouting demands, threatening to shoot him if he didn't let go of her. But Geist had the upper hand, she was the hostage. On the porch she could see Serah and Snow. The younger Farron had her hand clasped over her mouth in shock, blue eyes brimming with tears, Lightning could tell she was trying to hold back. Snow on the other hand was leaning against the wooden railing desperately attempting to capture his breath. Hunched over and red in the face, the blonde clutched onto his chest wound, the bandages blotched with red.

Seeing the frightened expression on Serah's face brought life back to Lightning's body. In the single brief moment of invigoration the strawberry blonde was reminded of her promise, and her duty. She couldn't give up the moment she was trapped. Even if Geist was the mongoose to Lightning's serpent, she still had her venom to fight back with.

Worming her way out of the Project's grip, Lightning drove her knee right into his gut. She gave him no further time to react, slamming into the side of his head with a high roundhouse kick. His thick armor plates diminished much of the force from her attacks, but Lightning was trying to stagger her opponent and catch him off-balanced. Recovering quicker than she gave him credit for, Geist maneuvered artfully away from Lightning's assault. His body was flexible beyond comprehension, bending and twisting to evade each blow.

Powerful legs rocketed him forward, leaping at her. He collided into with enough force to send them both sprawling out on the lawn of the house. The Project crawled away on all fours, darting around Lightning like a maddened tarantula.

Luckily she had allies, the members of Team NORA not ones to miss out on a good fight. They unloaded round after around into the metal man's suit, the lead hailstorm dropping him to the ground. Thin, inky puddles of blood were pooling out of the armor; Lightning went in for the killing blow, readying her Blazefire Saber.

"Think again!" he taunted, amazing everyone with his stubborn will to not fucking die.

Lightning gave him some credit, not holding back the move he previously explained. Sinking into the ground, Geist's body transmuted into a literal shadow of his former self. He left without a trace, the shadow gliding through the shadow the house casted. Gadot slumped to the ground clutching his chest in agony, his machine gun clattering to the ground and sliding away. The others hastily encircled the spiky-haired man. Lightning wasted no time, rolling him onto his back to inspect the wound without so much as consent. Lebreau had her hands running all over; rubbing his biceps and shoulders, cupping his face in her dainty hands. Gadot was groaning at this point, giving the brunette bartender more reason to gush over him like a madwoman.

"Let me see." the strawberry blonde asked, removing his bulky hands away from the battle scar. It covered the great expanse of his tanned skin, marring the otherwise perfectly sculpted abs that Lebreau swooned over. The gash was paper thin, however, only recognizable by the blood seeping from it. The injured area was showing signs of inflammation, the swells tinting a slight purplish.

Removing Gadot's furry teal jacket, Lightning plucked out the Curasa manadrive she found. The blood continued to spill, thicker and blotchier now with darkened flecks mixed in. The soldier girl handed the small chip to Lebreau, having to shake the woman by the shoulders to stop her incessant worried cries. From her peripheral she saw Serah looking over Snow's cut.

"Uh...Lightning." Yuj called, sounding shaken and confused. The soldier girl responded with a plain nod of her shoulders, getting back onto her feet with her gunblade at the ready. "He's just staying...over there..." the blue-haired teenager pointed towards the porch of the house. A peculiar elliptical shadow resting motionlessly on the ground. Seemingly noticed, the ghostly figure slithered out of the ground, baring his shimmering quicksilver claws.

Both armored hands outstretched to capture Yuj and Maqui in a tight grip, the two men pounding their fists against the armor. Adhering to her namesake, Lightning worked blindingly fast. An Aeroga manadrive was loaded into her gunblade and fired at Project: Geist, exploding into a violent tempest. The two members of NORA held hostage were tossed like rag dolls against the side of the wall near Snow and Serah. Lebreau shielded Gadot with her body.

Geist was catapulted skywards, not even having time to register the flurry of bullets penetrating his skin nor the raging sharp winds surging around him. Lightning finished the frenzied assault with a brutal frontward stab on his plummet down, impaling his chest on her gunblade. With a swift boot to the face, the Project was on the ground, defeated. Defeated, but still breathing.

"Alright...Alright...I concede." he choked up, staying on his knees before Lightning.

A gentle breeze blew a few lazy strands of pink hair to frame her face, contrasting her stoic expression and steel blue eyes. Coughing vehemently, she noticed that both Gadot and Snow's condition had worsened. Yuj and Maqui dizzily stood up, dusting themselves off.

"Talk." she commanded, the gunblade directed right at his helmet, threatening to shoot.

"What about..." he chuckled, "I feel embarrassed enough after everything I said..." Lightning wasn't laughing.

"What's the cure?" she asked, referring to the sickening looks plastered on the two giant's faces. The wounds looked grievous. "Rub cinnamon on the wound and then suck on a few ice cubes. Everything should return to normal in the next few hours." Geist replied, his mask hiding any facial expression. Lightning gave a nod to Serah, mentally passing over the orders to her younger sister.

"Wait!" Maqui cried out in astonishment, "Why should we trust this guy?"

"Yeah!" Yuj chimed in, "Moments ago he was killing us, and now we all make the radical jump to negotiation?"

They had a point. "Disbelieve me if you choose to do so, it matters little to me what you interpret from my words." Geist answered for everybody, remaining on the ground. "I may be a taunting, condescending asshole, but even _I _realize when I've been bested. Take what information you want from me."

Lightning had Serah and Lebreau slowly haul Gadot and Snow inside to register their treatment. Maqui scoffed in disbelief.

"Why did you answer the question anyway, can't you just meld into the ground and become a shadow?" the strawberry blonde asked, not relinquishing her grasp on the trigger for even a moment. Blinking was unnecessary.

"Not anymore now that you stabbed me..." Geist said through choked up words, rivulets of crimson seeping through the respirator. His chest was radiating a vibrant purplish aura. "My brand is failing." Lightning quirked a slender pink eyebrow. "Which fal'Cie branded you?"

"Orphan." he responded simply. Her eyes widened, analyzing his words. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Tch. Impossible. He died three years ago." Geist already knew Lightning's question before the strawberry blonde even asked. "Don't bother, I don't know how Orphan is alive. The five other Projects have his brands though." Lightning appeared muddled by his response.

_Five Projects...? I thought there were only three. _

"Where are the other Projects?" she inquired, cautiously relaxing her grip. Geist didn't budge, but exhaled in searing pain at the stab wound right through his chest. Serah and Lebreau walked out of the porch. "Genesis will be arriving here shortly. Terra and I are here to take out those who have interacted with Blaze." he said, shrugging his shoulders. "Naga and Myst dropped off the radar since Paddra." he finished.

Lightning nodded solemnly, hoping her new friends were safe. She knew Fang could easily take care off herself and Vanille, especially here on Gran Pulse, but anything could happen during a war. Everyone else stared at Lightning slack-jawed and confused. She promised she would explain to them shortly, before Geist dies. "Tell me about the Projects."

"All six of us are manufactured super-soldiers." Geist began, sounding deep in thought. "Through technological and fal'Cie manipulation, our Focus and l'Cie powers are handcrafted and predestined. Lucas wanted to manufacture a controlled war machine, Project: Blaze being the oldest and constructed to be the strongest of all of us."

"Why do you refer to yourselves as manufactured? You're not mechanical." Lightning swore she could see Geist stare at her grinning.

"Projects are not born. We're the products of blue-prints designed by fal'Cie ingenuity, human technology, and l'Cie magic. We are hardly human beneath these thick, black, armor plates. From Day One Lucas told me that Project:Blaze is my superior, someone whom would always defeat me. My underdeveloped powers pale in comparison to his potential..."

Geist's voice became whisper quiet, his body weakening and curling up on the ground. His brand shined intensely bright from beneath his armor, enveloping him in an aura of dreadful purple. The light flared, causing the soldier girl to shield her eyes abruptly.

"What about the...!" Lightning asked, lowering her arm. Geist had already vanished within the dissipating afterglows of that mysterious purple light. Only his metal claws remained. The soldier girl picked them up.

"Okay—What the hell is going on here!" Lebreau screamed, receiving nods of confused agreement from the others. Lightning sighed to herself, not wanting to cover this topic with those so close to her. But since Serah would involve herself regardless, she figured it might as well be explained now.

"Well I figured this conversation would come eventually..."

Lightning led everyone back into the house, recounting her story of Paddra and other events. She would need a summarized version; the sounds of war inching closer.

* * *

The overwhelming sense of exhaustion descended upon him like spilt wine from a crystal goblet. How long had it been now? Hours? Days? Years? He had taken the step into the abyss once before, the passage of time coming to a crawl or a hastened jolt from within the confines of his cell. Dawn and Dusk melded into one natural occurrence, the days passing within the spaces between seconds or extending for endless eternities. With ceaseless pattern the cycle would adjust and adapt, however always manipulated by his Warden.

The ins and outs of it all; the constant routine demanding his attention. The burrowing needle of annoyance and anger, trapped animalistic fury and sheer boredom melding into his mind. He was victim to the wills of those whom had watched over him since the very beginning, rescuing him from the brink of death when Fate commanded him to lie dead in the womb. He was told that the purpose for living was to live with purpose. Those words were taken to heart, naïve as he was at the time, and had become his hammer of reckoning.

The man's purpose, his sole reason for existence was to fulfill his duty. Caught in the steel clutches of his Warden, beaten into shapeable clay and molded into the physical manifestation of a single ambition. As dramatic as it all seemed, it was not too enterprising. A failure since experimentation began, he was continually tossed back into the furnace to be made anew, the first presentable prototype. Truly, he died on the day of his birth. Whatever husk that was collapsed onto the floor of some dingy establishment was only a tool. A tool wielded by the hands of the Warden to see his dreams come forth. His own life was meaningless, a simple pebble plummeting into the murky lake of space and time. The ripples he would make were nothing compared to that which commanded his body.

Mutiny was the only option then. To experience the rush of a life unburdened by his master he only had to escape the confines of his prison cell, both mental and the cold iron bars blocking his path. An existence of his own was unprecedented. He had no knowledge of the outside world beyond what information had been fed to him. Social skills were underdeveloped, not that the runaway had any use for them. The easiest way to adjust to a life away from your commander is to create your own objectives and lie to yourself that you actually wrenched sweet freedom away from that malign force. He had set his own goals to follow the moment he left the Warden's grip; the only way to avoid coming to grips with his newborn freedom was to limit it.

The taint his Warden had inflicted upon him was always there, the anchor keeping him back but bringing him forward all the same. A decade and a half had forged his body into a machine capable of wielding his powers. Fire was life and fire was death, the only cyclic constant he accepted. His creed was formed by the permanency of flame, it spread destruction and left the world wanting, only to provide the sparks of new life later. His will was hammered into place by the only emotions his body produced by his Warden. The excruciating torture, gruesome trial and error experimentations, and isolation had his mind reeling into a lonesome corner. He needed nothing but his thoughts, immersing him in dreams, only to be assaulted within that realm as well. As he was a tool for the Warden so did people work as tools for him. Drowning himself in his own thoughts was satisfying, the presence of the supernatural being imprisoned within him only there by the Warden's accord.

His body, left decrepit and decaying by the Warden, could be fixed at the extent of shortening his life. A temporary boost now, with disregard for what future remained for him. His weapon was the work of the Warden himself. The firestorm that raged inside inside him now used against the holder of his Fate. He wanted control for once; if six l'Cie could defy the Gods and save Cocoon, couldn't he not go against them as well?

But it was time that barred him. Blaze was a dying star, and while he could mentally escape the rapids of its river, his body was too weak to swim against the tide. His life was diluted to saddening hypocrisy.

"_Blaze, wake up." _Lucy instructed, the tingling sensation of his arms and legs desiring to move washed over him, but the redhead stayed motionless. His back was against probably one of the only structurally sound walls inside the crappy strip club he had followed Terra into. His knees were bent, head buried between them as his arms tried shielding most of him away from view. His shortened fiery locks of hair swayed gently in the breeze, flapping violently after whenever a bomb exploded. The deceased Project had led him right into the heart of the battlefield.

Blaze felt sapped of strength, the Orphan brand on his chest pulsing on a different rhythm than the annoying _thump thump thump _of his heart. The most powerful and capable fighter that Lucas built, but a prototype in the end. His powers fluctuated under his unstable mind, the assistance of Lucy required to properly direct his rage. However many years that remained ticking away on his brand were meaningless. They were only an incentive for Blaze to spend more energy in the present, and to remind him how long Lucas had him trapped within the prison cell.

The attacks were constant and predetermined. Blaze knew enough about Lucas to decipher that he was a brilliant strategist, but had finally grown too cocky. The scuffle of boots could be heard from outside the wrecked establishment along with the mumbles and murmurs of side conversations. A single, liquid voice overshadowed the others.

_"Get up you bastard!" _Lucy commanded once again, forcefully bursting him out his position, sprawling him out on the dirty floor. Hope was whispering something low, the boy still tied in the chair on stage, of which Blaze did not hear. Blaze's eyes opened, a trickle of energy flowing into his blind eye to endow it with sight.

Shadowy forms were moving outside, his vision not adjusting to broad daylight just yet. The door was easily breached, a gust of wind invading and sending the dust and dirt into the air. The particles glittered in the sunlight pouring in from the gaping whole in the ceiling. In his state of deranged goofiness, Blaze laughed at the sight of the swirled figures searching the area. One or two stayed at the door while the others broke apart and investigated the scene. Blaze knew it was all part of the show Lucas was performing. He was fully aware that his Warden knew his whereabouts, tracking him through sessions in The Perfect Nightmare.

Hope spoke, calling out to the intruders. Blaze figured the kid had a blindfold on. The PSICOM soldiers closed in on the silver-haired teenager from the very edges of Blaze's peripheral. More voices were ringing in his ears, but he registered nothing. The boy must've been struggling by the way the soldiers dragged him out of the chair, still blindfolded and now restrained by the men. The distinct sounds of PSICOM Director Lucas Lynch were the only noises that brought familiarity to Blaze's distraught mind. The Project was worn out from his match with Terra, the nauseating adrenaline rush of power emanating from Lucy's return was always unknown and left him feeling shitty.

"_God dammit, Blaze get your ass in gear!" _Blaze's body was bolted upright this time.

The soldiers paid him no heed, going about their orders as if nothing had happened. He knew they were only here for him, Hope would only be used as a bargaining chip. Lucas would deduce that the kid would be of some use to Blaze. His vision was clear at this point, the domineering figure of his Warden at the entrance to the building, running gloved fingers through his wavy black hair. His sister Maria was over near Hope, her black and white armor a stark contrast to the red uniformed soldiers. Blaze was surprised that the man he made such a _wonderful _acquaintance with, Dr. Kacey, had not arrived as well. The little shrimp always tagged alongside Lucas like a lovesick puppy.

Blaze made a show of cracking his neck, enjoying the delicious sounds he got from the bones. He flexed his fingers and even stretched out his legs, but made no motion to stand up. Lucas decided to humor the fiery-haired Project, shrugging off a few of his lackeys. Blaze mentally prepared himself, ready to give Lucas a piece of his own mind before being reprimanded like a foolish child.

"Well...Well...Well..." Lucas drawled, the shit-eating grin plastered on his face enough to infuriate Blaze. The Warden glided along the ground is it gave way to his passage. His dark gray sash covering his shoulder slid away, revealing the scarred, scorched skin. The light fabric drifted lazily onto the dirty floor, where a steel-toed boot stomped on it without remorse. The wounds were inflicted by Blaze during his earlier days in the training facility; Lucas always used them as an example of the Project's misbehavior and disobedience. It was always followed up with swift punishment.

"How is my little pet doing?" the PSICOM Director asked, towering over the fiery-haired man. If he was still chained up by those cursed manacles, restrained high and far away, unable to fight back, Blaze would answer differently. Lucas had beaten his determined, fighting spirit years ago, transforming him into a nearly perfect, submissive test subject. But now things had changed. He was fire, and like the element, he was too stubborn to let something snuff him out.

"Nice and quiet, huh?" Lucas began, cupping Blaze's chin with a single hand. He noticed the rough metal tips on each finger of the Warden's gloves.

"That's good n' all when I want you to shut up or when I'm not demonstrating you," the onyx-haired man was clenching forcefully now, snapping Blaze's head to lock eyes. "But I thought I had it clear that when I ask you a question, _you _answer." He looked at Lucas with unwavering attention, a neutral expression on his lips. The standing man smiled for the briefest of seconds, flashing white, evil fanged teeth. Then Lucas abruptly slammed the back of his hand against Blaze, connecting right into his jaw. In the blink of an eye, the Project was flat on the ground.

"_Don't take his crap! Why don't you listen to me? We can kill him right now!" _Lucy screamed inside him loud enough that he thought the soldiers could hear the Eidolon. Blaze growled and spat out blood pooling in his mouth right on Lucas' pristine, spit-shined boots.

"Don't talk to me like you own me, bastard!" he commanded defiantly, pounding a fist into the earth. He could see Maria leading Hope closer to the door. Looking back, he could see the Warden looking down on him with the happiest, most sadistic smile ever to grace a man's features. Blaze was promptly kicked in the chest. A pained groan followed him coughing up blood.

_Fuck...Probably just broke a rib...Or two..._A hand rubbed the impacted area gently, wincing sharply when his thoughts were confirmed. Energy flowed to the spot and got to work. _"I'll patch your useless ass up, just stand up and fight, Edgar!" _Blaze got onto one knee and leaned his weight on it. His eyes sparked with determination as he stared at Lucas. Wiping his bloodstained cheeks, Blaze exhaled a calming breath, ready.

Blaze snapped into action, lunging directly for Lucas. He thrusted his palm outwards, releasing a jet of searing fire. His Warden anticipated his actions, already aware of such an unwarranted attack. He sidestepped as if Blaze had attacked him on a regular occurrence, which he did, but typically in more creative ways. A chop collided into Blaze's neck followed with a short jab to the stomach to distance the two. The Project staggered to the side, clearly off balanced. All the PSICOM soldiers in the strip club, besides the one unlucky soul to be incinerated by Blaze's initial blast of heat, raised their guns. Laser targeting beams were directed all towards him, a few lining up between his red and gray eyes.

"Don't you fucking dare harm Project: Blaze!" Fingers ceased from pulling the trigger, silenced by Lucas' order. The man's own pistol was raised in the air, willing to shoot if need be. The soldiers hesitated, but shared frightening looks from inside their helmets. Lucas, the evil, sadistic cold-hearted bastard that he is, demanded loyalty and obedience. He was the Craftsman, the soldiers were only there to be his tools. A small smirk played on Blaze's lips.

"Aw, you do care." he jeered, igniting his typical immolating aura. His eyes scanned to the left and right warily, gauging his chances. The typical soldier trash Lucas had thrown against Blaze in the training facility were easy prey, but they had him surrounded. Knowing that Lucas wanted him alive was another card he could use to his advantage. They wouldn't fight back to kill him, only restrain him. He was the prized piece after all.

Lucas took a step forward, dispersing the guards scavenging through the establishment. A few quick orders sent most of them filing outside. The distant echoes of firefights could be heard closing in on their sector. The shockwaves pulsing through the ground were common feeling now; Lucas' tactic always relied upon hammering the enemy relentlessly beyond submission. Complete and total eradication.

"So, Blaze, how have you been faring since you so rudely left good ol' dad?" he asked, snickering with obvious arrogance. Lucas took another step towards Blaze, the redhead only fuming in anger, a fist clenched.

"Shut the fuck up!" he countered, tongues of fire released after each word. "We both know that you monitor me through the Perfect Nightmare. And don't even give me that crap! You're not my father, Lucas!" the Warden looked legitimately saddened, but the Project knew he was only playing into the role. Lucas was a damn good actor.

"How could you say that?" the Director said with as much care and concern he could muster. "I raised you since birth—"

"You overshadowed my life since I was born! You took my parents away from me and I was only thirteen when you branded me as a l'Cie! I may not remember everything about my real parents, but anyone is better than you!" Blaze spat back, advancing towards Lucas. Neither looked frightened at all, neither backed down. Maria had pulled Hope's blindfold down to cover his mouth by now, the boy shouting muffled, incomprehensible statements. _"Yeah, Edgar! Get your blood boiling! Let's transform and burn the world to a crisp!"_

"My memory is coming back to me, Lucas, and there's nothing your Perfect Nightmare could do to stop that." Lucas smirked at this statement, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Very true, Blaze..." he responded slowly, "However do you want to know how you came to be? Why we chose you over the thousands of other potential candidates? I had to shatter your memory over repeated sessions of electrical torture to knock that out of your brain." One hand held his pistol at his side, not even threatening Blaze to watch what he says. The other hand Lucas used to call Maria and the restrained Hope over to his side.

"I don't need you—I never needed you! I'm making great strides out here on my own." Twin plumes of fire popped into existence at Blaze's fingertips, the concentrated blips of energy lengthening to make a sort of claw of fire type weapon, but was quickly reshaped. "Let go of the kid or your—"

_**BANG!**_

Blaze's heart stopped beating, watching as the passage of time slowed. The bodies of Hope and Maria sank to the ground in silent agony, the bullet passing effortlessly through both of their bodies. The Project didn't even realize how quickly Lucas had bridged the distance set between them, his metal-tipped gloves alive with electricity. Bolts of static danced between his fingertips.

"_What the...! God dammit, he was our only way to Taejin's Tower!" _The fiery-haired man could only stare in awe at the abrupt change of events. Lucas was right before Blaze at this point, his electric fingertips grazing the stunned man's forehead. "Revel in sweet delirium." Lucas whispered, pressing deeply against Blaze's cranium. The volt traveled instantaneously through his body, centering on his spinal cord. His body collapsed to the ground before his mind could even sense it. The suddenness of sleep welcomed Blaze, feeling the seductive siren call of dreams summoning him to their realm of majesty.

* * *

_'It all happened so suddenly. One moment, standing up and challenging my rival, the next flat on my back as sleep overtook me.'_

_Blaze had eyes tightly shut, mental processes sorting everything out. The sensations were vivid and natural as they always were each time he ventured into the Perfect Nightmare. Everything feels so extremely real, that what you reach out to grasp with your hand actually exists. The dark machine twists how your brain perceives the world around it, warping the senses. It puts on a very convincing show, fooling people into its false securities. The victims always fell for the lulling call at the beginning, explaining to the brain that the person was merely dreaming, thus locking the body in sleep paralysis. _

_While asleep, the brain stops nearly all movements in ones appendages, to prevent the unconscious person from hurting himself. Sleep paralysis is a process that imitates what one undergoes once asleep, however it can be used while awake. The Perfect Nightmare releases signals into the weakened nervous system, forcing the body into a lockdown state. This initiates lucid dreaming, whereupon Lucas is able to oversee such dreams and manipulate them as he deems fit. As the sessions proliferate, his grip on the victim tightens, leading into the bizarre side effects. Hallucinations being commonplace after the Perfect Nightmare. _

_However Blaze had crawled into the dark machine countless times before. After fifteen years of the torture it was actually a strange occurrence to not experience sleep corrupted by the Perfect Nightmare. The one flaw in design; it had taken him years to realize and then master, was its own processes. Lucid dreaming is an intermediary state between sleep and consciousness. The Perfect Nightmare links ones brain to the victim, allowing both sides to engage in mental warfare. A test of wills was too easy to overcome however, as Lucas was the only person allowed to connect with the Projects. The drugging and electrocuting helped mentally exhaust and defeat the victim, allowing the Warden to operate the dream. _

_Blaze had accrued a resistance over the fifteen years; Lucas had to try increasingly clever and deceiving methods to trick him. The flaw in the dark machine was that it evoked lucid dreaming within the mind of the victim, not the controller. With ample time and mastery of techniques, it is actually possible to control how one dreams. The side effects were that it worsened the hallucinations and hastened the brand progression, a small price to pay at this point in Blaze's development. While physically at the mercy of Lucas and his soldiers, Blaze was prepared mentally. _

_He had mastered lucid dreaming._

_'Step one...' he began, reciting his method aloud. The words came out muffled and deformed, a rush of water flooding into his mouth. 'Well that at least answers one question...' he thought to himself, realizing he was underwater this time, feeling himself sink lower into oblivion. 'Step one: Force the brain to realize it is dreaming.'_

_He opened his eyes to complete, pitch blackness. High above in the upper echelons of the ocean sunlight barely pierced through, only denoting this by the lighter water tone. Below him was nothing but darkness as he sunk deeper and deeper. Bubbles rose off him as he lightly boiled the layer of water around him. The situation was perfect._

_To succeed in step one, Blaze must shock his brain into sudden realization. Under normal circumstances, humans would immediately wake up upon registering they were dreaming. However enough training had taught him to prevent that from happening. The Perfect Nightmare had a failsafe mechanism if such a thing happened regardless. To shock your brain you need to wholly experience something you have not or cannot comprehend. The sensation of sinking hundreds of feet downwards, beyond what pressure humans could withstand, and not feeling the water caress his skin nor the heat nor cold was jolting enough. _

_Blaze flared brightly for a moment, attempting to release fires building inside him. As per rules of the physical spectrum, fire cannot exist in the ocean, albeit magma vents were on different calibers. After realizing he was in a dream, however, unlocked the mental powers he had trained to receive. His prowess in being lucid in the Perfect Nightmare were admirable. _

_'Dreams don't follow the natural order,' Blaze explained to himself, thrusting his arms upwards to swim. He pumped his arms up and down, as if he was climbing a rock wall, clawing to reach the water's surface. Closing his eyes, he flashed once more, flames erupting from his molten skin. The sea boiled and surged around him, his powers embellished inside the Perfect Nightmare. Lucy's fleshy, upside down bat-wings burst out of his back, skin tearing. _

_'Step two: manipulate the dream in your favor.' His eyes closed, picturing a massive anglerfish brushing past him. Force summoning people, animals, or objects were methods to assert mental dominance and further control dreams to your liking. While easier to begin with objects of familiarity, Fang's spear for example when she was trapped within the dark machine, Blaze liked the deep sea theme. Inhaling, Blaze reopened his eyes, his wings flapping violently. He needn't not breathe, lucid dreaming preventing such a fallacy. The giant spiny fish brushed past Blaze, the fleshy growth upon its head blinking every so often. _

_'Step three: break the dream.'_

_The end was in sight. He swam higher and higher, sun breaking through the wall of water. The entire movement was fluid and seamless, blasting out of the water and soaring into the sky on wet wings. A few quick flaps sent showers of droplets cascading downwards to the endless sea beneath the now obsidian sky. Droplets hardened into sharp razors, shattering against concrete islands. He bent and warped the dream realm, feeling the inklings of Lucas' presence. _

_Spiraling loops gave him a cursory glance at the horizon. Nothing but a raging sea of white water crashing down upon itself, man-made concrete islands dotting the landscape. Tiny stars glimmered in the blackness of the sky, mirroring the water. Strange birdlike creatures fluttered by, ignoring Blaze for the most point. They cawed to each other and swooped, but the fiery-haired man frightened the beasts away with a brief display of fire. _

_Everything seemed a bit too easy. It seemed like Lucas wasn't putting up much a fight this session. Blaze was highly disappointed. _

_He felt the sudden explosion of Lucy's conscious, a star undergoing supernova in the distance. The burst of power was a beautiful symphony of colors shimmering into existence, some the likes Blaze had never seen before. Shades, tints, vibrants, and dulls covered the great expanse, enveloping other stars and brushing gently against the moon's surface. Blaze felt diminutive under the great majesty of the unknown universe, yet felt the strangest familiarities with the passage of the dead star. _

_The hollow skull flickered into distorted space; Blaze outstretched an arm to grab it. Peeking his head out of the clouds, he flew as high as his wings were willing to carry him. Placing Lucy's skull over him as a helmet, Blaze casted a gaze down upon the what dream world was revealed to him. Sparks of green fire ignited in the sunken eye sockets. _

_His Eidolon had come to drag him back into the plane of the living, having easily broken Lucas' pitiful excuse for a Perfect Nightmare. Blaze didn't entertain the thought that he was gaining immunity. _

* * *

Groaning, Blaze opened his heavy eyelids. The intense glare of the sun was scorching, causing him to abruptly shut his eyes. He had a pounding, throbbing headache that was not going away any time soon, in addition to his stressed, exhausted muscles. The world was a blur of sound and motion around him, vibrations pulsing beneath his feet with each step his weakened body took. His weary eyes opened reluctantly this time, squinting as to lessen the bright sun blinding him.

The sky was a dirty shade of blue and gray, the thick columns of black smoke a stark contrast to the few white and puffy clouds that lazily drifted on by. Waves of dust rolled in with each gust of wind from a resulting explosion, biting his open wounds. Droplets of blood escaped from various places from his body, the energy he expended to break the illusion of the Perfect Nightmare causing his skin to split open. His heart was beating a different pace than the constant thrumming his Orphan brand emanated, fresh l'Cie magic showering upon him.

The Project realized he was being dragged through the streets, the familiar restraints bound his arms to his back, a PSICOM agent bordering him. Their armor was a dull mix of gray with splashes of red, the colors all jumbled together as his mind reeled back to the material plane. His neck screamed for him to stop as he swiveled his head up, tired of staring at the cracks and craters populating the bloodied streets.

People were running in all directions, the city's heart one huddled mass of unabridged chaos. The sector was the first to face the wrath of Lucas' artillery, the Guardian Corps soldiers struggling to safely evacuate the remaining civilians. The dead and dying were carelessly piled on the sidewalks where sewer grates greedily swallowed rivers of blood. Muffled cries surrounded Blaze as he was transported through this sea of confusion and death. A tank rumbled on through an intersection giving pause to the men around him, the contraption crushing cars and soldiers alike as the war continued onwards. The continuous sounds of gunshots around him, from both sides as he was apparently being brought through the belly of the beast, the all-out firefight on the streets of New Bodhum racking up casualties on both sides.

Lucas and two other PSICOM soldiers strode ahead of Blaze and his captors, the armored men casting constant Steelguards from their manadrives. The golden aura enveloped the Warden, Blaze, and the other soldiers. Bullets bounced and reflected off the impenetrable bubble, leaving only ripples upon colliding. The fiery haired man felt Lucy mentally tug him around. The soldiers disregarded his attempts to look behind him, dragging him forward with an extra 'oomph!' From his peripheral he could see two more agents walking behind him, their helmets discarded. They had tired, worn-out looks on their faces, but carried onwards. They acknowledged Blaze with distasteful sneers, one of them smacking his face back into position with the butt of his gun. He peered at the huddled bodies of Hope and Maria, both patched up from the gunshot.

Blaze spat blood mixed with saliva onto the ground then cracked his neck. _I feel like shit..._He thought to himself, watching a charging Orion gore a helpless victim, the fried body tossed away.

_"As you should, you smell like shit too."_ Lucy kindly responded, the Eidolon's presence slightly warming. _What happened while I was gone?_ A particular explosion rocked the traveling group, PSICOM aerial fighters screaming off in the distance as they retreated from a bombing run.

_"Lucas' Shocktappers sent you into the Perfect Nightmare. He had everyone carry you, Maria and the wimpy kid out of the strip club. We're heading right through the most intense battle in the city to PSICOM HQ_. _Geist died not too long ago."_

Lucy filled him in on everything else, returning Blaze's startled expression of Geist's passing with one of her on. The ghost Project was the least developed of the six, but should have been capable of besting some Guardian Corps soldiers. _"You ready to break out?" _Lucy asked him, his red and grey eyes shifting about.

_I'm not sure, this isn't the best of ti— "God dammit, Edgar! Stop being so submissive while Lucas is around! What happened to all the pent up rage you have for him? Be a man and stand up! You need to do this for yourself, ya know."_

Blaze nodded solemnly. He knew that he had to fight back; the desire was overwhelming. It seemed that Lucas was always prepared, however, and Blaze did not know how to crack him.

_**BOOM!**_

The thought process was abruptly halted as a danger-close bomb exploded right upon a nearby building. The whole party was sent stumbling to the ground, the protective sphere of Steelguard vanished with a final defiant flicker, allowing a storm of bullets to pass through unhindered. One of the armored soldiers was caught in the crossfire between both sides while the others kept their bodies to the floor, the rounds shredding into his body with ease. Blaze clutched his ears as the deafening roar of gunshots surged around him, his eyes locked with Hope's as they collapsed to the ground. Maria rolled onto her stomach, the wound reopening. Lucas, to everyone's misfortune came out unscathed as his soldiers were butchered around him.

They all kept to the ground, a battered and broken car serving as cover from the Guardian Corps onslaught. The PSICOM soldiers knew better not to shoot at their own leader. "B-Blaze!" Hope choked out, trying to catch his breath. Inhaling smoke wasn't one of his strong suits. "Up there!" a weak arm outstretched a trembling finger, directing the Project's sight elsewhere. A tall skyscraper a few blocks away as the object of Hope's importance.

There, atop it's roof was Sazh's airship. A relieved smile formed on Blaze's lips. "...Great...B-But we need to get out of here first." the fiery-haired man responded, clutching Hope's shoulder as the two staggered to their feet. Lucas delivered a firm kick to both of their stomachs, a smirk on his face. His head was previously glancing over the car to watch a pair of Lodestar Behemoths tear through the lines of Guardian Corps soldiers, his own PSICOM agents flooding over to the other side of the street to systematically clear the block. However, now that the street was clear of both armies, Lucas stood over the two menacingly, taking a quick glance at Maria's wounded form.

He chuckled, Blaze and Hope locking eyes with the Warden. His wavy black hair was in pristine condition, belying the fact that war was going on right around them. "I wouldn't get all your hopes up if I was you. I ordered my men to level the city, that building will come toppling down in minutes." Blaze's eyes widened in shock.

_Fuck!_

"You need to call him!" Blaze ordered, shaking Hope's shoulders back and forth. Lucas only looked on with piqued interest. Hope brushed the l'Cie off him and rummaged through his pockets. The silver-haired teen was met with a resounding smack across the face, smashing into the car window. Blaze was hit with the back of Lucas' pistol before he could retaliate.

_Grr... _

_"Fight back, Edgar! Do it!" _

_I'm trying, I'm trying! But if he kills Hope then I won't have a way out of here! _

_"What are you getting soft now? FIGHT. BACK." _Lucy forcefully swung Blaze's arms upwards, slamming into Lucas and pushing him back. The Project looked at his hands in bewilderment, habitually squeezing them as to avoid a hallucination. Lucas coughed up a little blood and resumed his shit-eating grin. An eyebrow was raised in curiosity, watching Blaze as he helped Hope recover. "I disconnected the city's communication lines, all the lines are dead!" he shouted so matter-of-factly. He watched as Blaze and Hope's gazes were directed back at the skyscraper.

Just as they feared, a missile was rocketing right towards the building, airships passing by to drop their payloads elsewhere as well. A cloud of dust burst out in each direction from gaping holes in the building. The skyscraper rocked on its foundation, threatening to collapse. Sazh's airship was saved in the knick of time, lifting off the building. He circled around the city block, assumably spotting his quarry. Hope shouted and waved to Sazh as if it would actually travel over. Blaze spied Lucas's look of annoyance as the plane flew off in the distance, silently communicating with Hope to meet elsewhere. If they only could get the message across.

_You know, Lucy...You're right. I need to stand up, and it's about damn time I end this show right now!_

_ "That's the spirit! It took you way too fucking long to get that through your thick skull!"_ Blaze nodded to himself, taking one determined step towards Lucas at a time. He clenched his fists into tight balls, feeling the anger and hatred that he harbored for this man intensify. The air grew hot and heavy with evaporated moisture, the temperature escalating exponentially. The space around the fiery-haired man was distorted and wavered from the heat, steam rising off Blaze's body. With one swift exhale of breath, he burst into flames.

It all came down to this. One minuscule point in the flowing stream of time where one daring pebble was intent on making ripples. The culminating point of his entire existence came down to ending this man's life, the purpose paramount among everything else. Forsaking his true calling Blaze reforged himself into an instrument of revenge. The torture he experienced, both psychological and physical, along with the atrocities he faced within the confines of his holding cell. The fifteen years of lies. But today, as the sun shone down upon New Bodhum with faceless indiscrimination, Blaze was going to change history.

His body was wreathed in a raging tempest of deep reds, vibrant yellows, and intense oranges. The fire was scorching the ground, causing Hope to scramble back to safety, Maria in his arms. Lucas was unimpressed as he watched the tar from the street melt and liquify into puddles of oozing black sludge. Sweat trickled down his skin, but the Warden showed no sign of fear. Blaze took a step forward, the sticky tar dripping off the boots Snow lent him. Sparks of fire fluttered away from the moving inferno, carried along the wind currents.

Blaze roared with righteous indignation, releasing tongues of fire. A sanguine aura radiated from the Orphan brand, the l'Cie mark revealed as the pure energy whipped the trench coat open and beamed through his black shirt. The speckled black dots within the aura swirled on their own accord. His skull and crossbones bandana was blown away, disintegrating into blackened dust as it left his person. Where human bodies and remnants of broken machines sizzled and melted from the ferocious heat, Lucas was as calm as day, amusement gracing his features.

"Why aren't you burning!" Blaze yelled, the fire spiking up. He was legitimately confused, as the only things he had come across that he could not burn was whatever was inside the Narthex. Thrusting a hand out, he gripped Lucas by the throat, enhanced strength hoisting him off his feet.

"Are you that stupid?" was Lucas's only response, clutching both of his Shocktappers at the base of Blaze's forehead. The metal-tipped gloves sparked with electricity, pulsing into Blaze and sending the man reeling backwards with a pained grunt. He saw stars for the briefest of moments, but Lucy snapped him back to attention. _"That device shocks you into the Perfect Nightmare. I'm not sure how nor why he is not catching fire, but rebuff your attacks."_

"I'm a simple businessman, Project: Blaze. I always come prepared, no matter the situation." Lucas began, rubbing his hands together and clearing his eyes of stray locks of onyx hair. He saw Hope looking over Maria and fingered for his pistol, but returned his gaze to Blaze. "Wouldn't you think, that after all the carefully laid plans and steps I have put into motion that I wouldn't spend the time to protect myself from a possible uprising?" he laughed to himself, raising the pistol. "That's preposterous." he added, tapping the trigger.

Blaze was quick on his feet though, snatching the pistol from Lucas. The two wrestled over the firearm, but the Warden wrenched his hand away, the other superheating the weapon to scalding degrees. The pistol melted into a pool of metals and plastics, seeping through his fingers. The world seemed to quiet down altogether as Blaze and Lucas focused on each other.

"Tell me what happened to my parents." the redhead asked, two plumes of fire flickering into existence. He concentrated them down to small orbs of flame, revolving around his digits. Lucas laughed, shaking his head. "That's a long story."

"Tell me!" Blaze demanded, raising the orbs to the Warden's eye level. He might not be able to be burned, but could sure as all hell be beaten to death.

"Your parents were casualties of the formation of Project." Lucas began, raising his arms up. "But not just them—thousands were killed. We were solving two of Cocoon's problems this way. Find potential candidates for Project and stem the population. We silently killed thousands of parents after giving birth to a child, then killing the newborn if it didn't match our specifications."

"You monster!" Blaze chided, flaring brightly once more. "How could you kill so many innocent!" Lucas gave him a stern look. "Don't give me that crap. You're not even in the position to patronize me since you have no qualms with killing the helpless." Blaze growled, stealing a glance at Hope. "It's only if they get in my way! I'm on this planet to kill you, to kill the Maker, and then die. That's it. And no one will prevent me from doing so."

Lucas merely laughed and continued. "The brainwashed people of Cocoon were none the wiser, being spoon-fed reports of wild beast attacks or an anomaly from Pulse that had mysteriously made its way up. Twenty-eight years ago your parents were rushed into the emergency room for your birth, only to be told by the doctor that you were born with teratogenesis, a disease that would create imperfections and malformations. You were meant to die in the womb that summer morning...Until I arrived, of course."

Blaze snorted, black smoke escaping from his nostrils. He listened with rapt attention, his heart beating a mile a minute. Lucy could sense the primal, animalistic rage building inside him. "The man who delivered you, Dr. Kacey, brought me in to explain to your parents how you could be saved. Through a series of constant injections that would riddle you for the rest of your life, your body could be stabilized. Obviously, your parents agreed. You should have seen the looks of happiness and joy on your mother and father's faces as you were born." Lucas laughed like the cold, heartless bastard he was.

"They called me a Hero. A life-saver. A Saint." he added. Hope a look of astonishment on his face. Blaze was silent and emotionless. Deep inside of him, however, everything was coming back to him. His memory was repairing itself. "As Dr. Kacey and I prepped you for your first injection, you looked at me with wide, teary eyes. You already missed your mother's arms. Your tiny hands gripped my finger as if to resist. After the whole process, your parents were shuffled through a door for 'paperwork' as they were told."

Blaze swallowed nervously. "They never came out of that room." Lucas said, relishing the look on the Project's face. "A few days later you were brought to a Sanctum run orphanage. When you were seven, you met Snow, a newborn destined to be the l'Cie to become Ragnarok."

_"Edgar..." _Lucy said, the faintest hint of emotion in her words. _He doesn't remember me now..._Blaze thought to himself.

"You went for daily visits to Dr. Kacey, the injections becoming like clockwork. You never fully understood why they were necessary, but you held unwavering trust for the man as he fed you false stories of your deceased parents. It wasn't until you were thirteen that you were branded as a l'Cie, Barthandelus taking an interest in you."

Lucas took a step past the statuesque Blaze, the man frozen in shock. "Five nobodies; Poe, Otto, Penelope, Kaya, and Journey. They along with you were brought together to take down Orphan like so many others had tried in the past. As you know, you failed." Lucas concluded, turning around to see his little science experiment. The flames had nearly died out at this point.

"T-The building! Look!" Hope screamed. The wrecked skyscraper teetered back and forth, the steel girders snapping as the infrastructure gave out. With a groan of metal, the building tipped forward.

Blaze paid it no heed.

_FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK! How could I have been so foolish! So idiotic! How could I buy into all the crap spewing from their mouths like it was the word of God?_

The anger had returned with full force, flames exploding from his body. His other brands were glowing violently in conjunction with his Orphan mark, the wind whipping his shortened hair. _"Good, Edgar!"_ Lucy assured, rejuvenating his body with fresh energy.

_"Feed off your anger, your hate! Mold it into the weapon of destruction that you truly are! You're here to kill Lucas, now here's your chance! Do it!" _

Blaze nodded, muttering words of agreement. He was a living inferno, his pained roars coupled with the crackling fire overwhelming Hope's shouts and Lucas's words. Maria had gotten up at this point, strong enough to limp over to her brother. They all faded away from Blaze as his vision clouded. His blood boiled inside him, muscles ripping and expanding. Magic coursed through his veins, empowering him.

_Fuck the time limit on this brand!_

He thought to himself, a maniacal grin on his face. The power high sent him tumbling over the edge. It was intoxicating, drawing more and more energy from the l'Cie mark, feeling it knit his wounds shut and fix his body. The cold, metal replacement fingers and toes transmuting into hastily crafted fleshy copies. His skin tingled with each passing sensation, losing control over the magic. Lucy was mentally tugging him in all sorts of directions, but never once scolded Blaze on his actions. He was fulfilling her own goals too, this way.

His eyes locked back on the off-balanced skyscraper. The snapping of powerful cords and metal resounded in the air, the foundation groaning once more.

"_Ready?" _Lucy asked him. A sense of childish jubilance overtook the fiery-haired man for a brief moment. The gate to powers previously kept locked were being breached. He was reaching his strongest point in evolution as a Project. Blaze clenched and unclenched his hands, staring at the skin pulled over the bone. He could see the phalanges moved beneath the flesh. Now was no time for the onset of a hallucination. The mastery of powers was too seductive to let something cause him to stray.

_Yeah...I am more ready than I'll ever be..._

His appendages spasmed, the bones snapping apart and fixing themselves instantaneously. His eyes rolled back into his head as Lucy's skull shimmered into existence, masking his face. Blaze's skin tensed and durned a dark maroon color. Legs contorted at odd angles before reshaping each foot into the hoof of a goat. His spine wiggled and ruptured from his skin, curving and straightening at different areas, extending at the base and thinning out as thick muscle wrapped around the newly forming snake tail. It grew out nearly a foot and a half long, dark green and spotted, a new life form fused onto his body. A curved horn sprouted out from the top of each eye, extending over the crown of Blaze's forehead. Everything grew proportionate, his body growing about a foot taller. Nails grew into sharpened claws. His blood red hair clung to him like a furry mane, while fleshy and pink upside down batwings spread from his back.

The building finally crumpled under its own weight, toppling down. The construct connected with the street with a deafening smash, sending waves dust, shrapnel, and glass scattering away. Blaze leapt forward with his powerful legs, covering the distance between him and Hope in one bound. He tossed the boy away from him for safety, unable to control his fiery powers under the veil of Gestalt.

_I am going to burn this whole world to the ground!_


End file.
